


a drink between Kages

by snacksensei



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Ending, Eventual Smut, Hokage Hatake Kakashi, In Character, M/M, Post-Chapter 699 (Naruto), Post-Fourth Shinobi War, Romance, Sand Siblings Bonding, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Shinobi Union, Slow Burn, eventual NaruGaaNaru, implied pining/love between naru and sasu, point of view switching
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2020-10-10 19:15:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20533172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snacksensei/pseuds/snacksensei
Summary: “Naruto. When you become Hokage, let’s have a drink together.”Two of the Shinobi Union's most powerful, legendary shinobi reconnect with one another in the years following the War and find that their bond is just as strong as it always was...and Gaara has an interesting and dangerous proposition for Naruto with the potential to allow that bond to truly blossom.





	1. letters to Gaara

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to my dope sibling for reading thru this & helping me edit and have everyone written In-Character. Love ya, bruh!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, Kishimoto does :)
> 
> Author's Note: This fic comes as a direct result of my love for Naruto. I've been a fan for a loooong time and I hope the fanfic I'm creating reveals just how much love I have for both the manga and the anime. But don't get me wrong, Kishimoto—due in part to pressure from the Studio—queerbaited for twenty entire years before abruptly marrying everyone off into cishet relationships & creating a horrible sequel series where everyone is OoC. ......So first and foremost I'm a loving fan but honestly you gotta be critical about these things.
> 
> Anyway, the fic is set two years after the Final Battle between Naruto and Sasuke,, two years after the Fourth Hokage wishes his son a happy seventeenth birthday,, two years since Sakura and Gaara helped revive Naruto post-Kurama extraction.  
This is my version of how I feel the story of Naruto /should/ have ended post-chapter 699.
> 
> Be prepared for a slow-burn, based off of that one line Gaara says to Naruto.

_“Naruto. When you become Hokage, let’s have a drink together."_

~~~~~~

The sun was just beginning its descent to the west, her rays casting an orange hue on the adobe buildings in Sunagakure no Sato. A rare rainstorm for this time of the year had happened upon the village earlier that morning; every surface was coated with sparkling drops of dew in its wake. The rain had succeeded in making the air cooler and less stuffy, the breeze still carrying its soft early-morning scent through Suna.

The village’s energy had noticeably shifted as the stifling heat was soothed by the storm; the whole of the community stopped its ongoings and gathered outside to marvel at a rainbow stretching out towards the horizon.

Before Temari could even sense his chakra, or lack thereof, she knew her youngest brother wasn’t in his office. He’d been even more thoughtful than usual that morning, before the rain came. She began, out of habit, to brew his tea anyway; it was something she had started doing when he first became Kazekage.

Kankuro teased her for it, saying that she was doing it just so she’d feel important in her role as his and Gaara’s eldest sister. But they both knew how much it meant to Gaara. Temari and Kankuro, each in their own way, felt it was important to do little things for their youngest brother; mostly out of their love and concern for him, but also in order to assuage some level of guilt for the part they played—small though they knew it was—in his childhood of solitude and loneliness.

Temari strode down the hall of the Kazekage Building, balancing with ease three brown mugs, a steaming kettle of tea, and prickly pear cactus buns on a tray. Only on special occasions did Temari re-create their mom’s recipe for the steamed buns. Prickly pear cacti grew in the deserts of the Wind, far outside the village of Suna, and the fruit was usually eaten quickly by the creatures inhabiting the desert.

And today, well...today wasn’t anything _ special _but still, there was a feeling that Temari had been unable to shake. A premonition, maybe, or a gut feeling? She felt as though something ominous was drawing near, similar to how she had felt in the days preceding the Akatsuki’s capture of her little brother.

_ That’s the anxiety from the war talking, _ she shook herself and passed right by Gaara’s office, instead carefully navigating up the small ladder at the end of the corridor.

~~~~~~

Right before a storm, Gaara always felt his sand altered by the increase in humidity and the density in the atmosphere. He’d learned, through meditation and training, to focus on each individual grain of sand, to extend his control down to the smallest particle.

He hadn’t intended on forming a sand platform to fly over the village for as long as he had. It’s just that—there was the most magnificent rainbow, pure and soft, descending over Suna. Gaara found he was unable to take his eyes from it.

He could see each and every color blending into one another; red lent itself to a deep turmeric orange, the sky had turned a shade of light violet. As Gaara observed the wind pushing along gray-purple clouds, he closed his eyes and thought about _Naruto_.

_“Gaara!”_ Kankuro’s voice startled him, which was in itself a surprising enough fact. Gaara was the Kazekage—trained to be aware of the smallest movement, of every disturbance or presence of another shinobi’s chakra. With effort, he tore his gaze from the sky and drifted towards the roof of the Kazekage Building.

“Everyone’s outside looking at the rainbow,” Gaara said softly, lightly stepping onto the roof. He looked at his older brother and smiled.

They both stood quietly together and looked out over the village and the sky and the sand dunes in the distance. Kankuro was amazed at how his little brother had grown, how calm and strong and qualified he was to be the leader of Sunagakure. They shared moments of peaceful silence together often, something neither of them would have ever believed possible when they were younger.

“I received the report you sent,” Gaara said, turning to Kankuro. “How did you feel about the joint-village mission?”

“It was all talk, we didn’t really _ do _ much besides that,” Kankuro chuckled and sat down, placing his hands behind his head and leaning back. “And those Iwa bastards are a pain in the ass.”

“They’re probably saying the same thing about you, idiot,” Temari called out. The two turned to see their sister striding towards them with a precariously balanced tray on her outstretched palm. She set the tray down in front of them and stood, leaning one elbow comfortably on her large fan.

Kankuro was searching for something to say so that he’d have the final word in their little sibling bickering—but then he saw that his elder sister had made their mom’s prickly pear steamed buns, so Kankuro decided to let this one slide. He picked up two steamed buns and wolfed them down as quickly as he could.

“I made these for Gaara, fatass!” Temari laughed, taking a seat beside both of her brothers. “Save some for the rest of us. I _ slaved away _ harvesting the prickly pears my_self_.”

Kankuro grunted in a half-chuckle. “Fuckin’ liar,” he said, and helped himself to another.

Gaara began pouring everyone’s tea and smiled, watching his siblings interact. He picked an especially soft, warm steamed bun and settled his gaze upon the horizon once more.

The three siblings sat with one another, feeling the breeze in their hair and listening to the sounds of the villagers below. There were a few peaceful moments when none of them said anything and merely enjoyed the company of one another.

“Naruto was there, on the mission,” Kankuro broke their silence awkwardly, feeling that this was something important to mention and yet delivering the message rather poorly.

Temari elbowed Kankuro in the ribs, to which he reacted with a yelp. They both searched Gaara’s expression, not failing to notice how his hand had stilled, how he paused for a moment, mid-sip of tea.

“Did he seem well?” Gaara’s voice was so soft that his siblings wondered if he had spoken at all.

Kankuro smiled softly—Naruto had asked after Gaara in a similar fashion not four days ago. Kankuro cleared his throat and nodded. “I think his hand is healing nicely; Konoha didn’t share specifics with me but the Fifth Hokage used cells from the First Hokage to make him a new arm.”

“Good explanation, real scientific,” Temari teased him.

“Shut up!” Kankuro shouted, but became more serious when he looked at his little brother. He and Temari knew, deep-down, that the most important and precious people in Gaara’s life were the two of them—and Naruto.

Naruto’s final fight with Sasuke wasn’t something the two elder siblings discussed, or even mentioned, in front of Gaara; they knew not to, somehow.

Kankuro thought of saying more but ended it at that, lamely. It was difficult for the shinobi world to think of Naruto without images of the war being conjured up in each of their minds. Kankuro felt that he was—indeed that they were all—greatly in Naruto’s debt. He was unsure of how to act naturally and fight alongside the savior of the _ world _ on little joint village Jonin-level missions.

Gaara drank the rest of his tea in a few swallows and finished his steamed bun.

“I’ve been away from the office for too long, I still have a lot of work to do,” Gaara said. There was a far-off look in his pale blue eyes.

“Oh,” Kankuro said, at the same time as Temari saying, “O-of course.” They glanced at one another awkwardly, then back at Gaara. He was gazing at the rainbow again.

Gaara placed his hand on Temari’s shoulder and gave a small squeeze. “Thank you for the tea and steamed buns, Temari.” He said and paused, unsure if he should continue saying what had come to his mind. Seeing Temari’s stunned expression was enough of a deciding factor, and Gaara continued, “Mom would be proud.”

He looked first in Temari’s eyes and then in Kankuro’s, holding both of their gazes in turn. Kankuro had stopped, mid-bite of steamed bun and Temari nearly dropped her mug of tea in her shock.

Why he’d chosen that moment to say it, Gaara honestly didn't know. Maybe it was because, during the War when Gaara had confronted their father, the Fourth Kazekage had shone light on the fact that Gaara's mom, truly, had always loved him...and had truly always loved Temari and Kankuro, too. Maybe it was because Gaara had been researching and planning for two years...something that he felt he _had_ to do, something that he was being called to do—and this felt like the last time they'd be able to have their evening tea together.

Gaara was glad he’d decided to say it after all, if only to see the way in which his siblings reacted to that level of vulnerability. Though Temari's eyes became watery, she recovered quickly, smiling at Gaara softly. Kankuro loudly gulped down his bite of food, his throat dry. To each of the siblings, this felt final, somehow. Like they knew that something big was coming, eery in its endless possibilities and outcomes. It was something that would inevitably challenge each of their roles as leaders of Suna—Kazekage and Ambassadors alike.

Gaara slipped his hand from Temari’s shoulder and walked away. The residual trauma that each of them faced from sharing a household with their father meant that none of the siblings had ever been particularly good with their emotions.

Gaara paused, hesitating. He hadn’t known the right time to tell them, indeed he hadn’t made up his mind until the storm and the rainbow and mention of Naruto.

“Tonight, meet me in my office after the meeting with the council,” he said finally. His siblings were staring up at him anxiously. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

~~~~~~

_ Little side note: the Metasequoia, or dawn redwood, is one of three species of redwoods and is native to Hubei province in China. So redwoods are in Konoha in this story because I don’t see why not! _

~~~~~~

The great oaks of the thickets surrounding Konoha prepared for winter, their red and orange leaves just beginning to fall. The cedar started to shed her coat of brown needles to make room for fresh, green growth. Dry maple leaves coated the forest floor and began to decompose.

The gray tree and wood frogs hid in great numbers under damp, lichen-covered logs and rocks. Some of the younger ferns were still curled and just beginning to grow tall, while others had already dropped spores and readied themselves for winter.

The forests of Konoha bore hardy trees—pale green junipers and purple crepe myrtles—which refused to acclimate to the coming winter months and yet still managed to survive from season to season. September was just falling away into October and the air still smelled of autumn breezes, chill winds only just descending upon the Village from the east.

Naruto spent much of his time wandering in the forest, carefully pulling up muddy rocks to catch darting salamanders and frogs in his calloused hands. He would meditate under the shade of the dawn redwood trees, marvelling at their great height and sturdy roots. Naruto wondered if these very trees were but young saplings when Sage of Six Paths jii-chan was a kid—or had they even begun to take root back then?

When Naruto entered into Sage Mode, he would walk through the forest and marvel at how beautiful everything was—at how quiet it seemed at first, until he really listened. Woodpeckers busied themselves by boring holes into the high tops of trees, bullfrogs croaked noisily, and thrushes sang to one another in a beautiful call-and-response.

Naruto followed the sound of bubbling water and happened upon a creek. He sat beside it for a long while, paddling his bare feet in the cold water.

The creatures of the forest were used to Naruto’s presence by now, even when he wasn’t in Sage Mode. A Sika deer and her fawn gracefully entered the creek beside him and took a long drink of water.

Naruto moved slowly, taking a Fuji apple from his pocket and a kunai from its pouch. He sliced into the apple and drops of tangy juice fell onto the bank of the creek.

The fawn approached Naruto, its eyes curious and playful and kind. Naruto smiled and held out a slice of apple, which the young deer quickly munched and then bounded away. Naruto thought the mama deer gave him an almost exasperated look before turning to race after her young one.

He laughed and bit into his apple; Naruto was happy here. This was the one place where he was able to forget about the war and truly be in the moment, truly experience joy.

“I thought I might find you here,” said a voice from behind him, and Naruto sensed—a good many minutes ago, thanks to his Sage Mode—that it was Shikamaru.

Naruto grinned and, without turning around, tossed a second apple from his pouch to Shikamaru. Shikamaru caught it in one hand and took off his own sandals, joining Naruto by the side of the creek.

Shikamaru noted that Naruto’s energy was bright and positive and calming whenever he entered into Sage Mode. Indeed, even when it was just regular old Naruto, he retained a certain calming presence that made others feel at ease.

After the War, the villagers had started treating him...differently, and Shikamaru wondered if that was why Naruto spent so much time in the forest. True, they had all interacted with Naruto "differently" once he had defeated Pein, but the reverence they showed him now was much greater. He was no longer just the hero of Konoha but of the _ world_.

Of course, to Shikamaru, he was still just _ Naruto_—goofy and loud and impulsive and loyal—but his eyes had changed slightly. There were ever so faint creases that lined the corners as he assessed his surroundings thoughtfully. His brow was furrowed much of the time—unsurprisingly whenever he was hunched over his Jonin academic texts, studying—even as he walked through the streets of Konoha.

Even when the Konoha Eleven—now Ten…….fuck, war was a nightmare—would get Korean barbeque together, Shikamaru would catch Naruto gazing off into the distance often, eyebrows knit together. The War had taken its toll on everyone.

Naruto picked up an especially smooth blue-gray stone and cast it into the water, far up the creek. It skipped along the water six times before settling into its new spot with a small _ plop_. Shikamaru smiled and began searching for stones, too. He concentrated chakra in the palm of his hand—to which Naruto protested with a loud, _“not fair, Shikamaru!”_—and launched his rock in the same direction that Naruto did.

The stone ricocheted across the water but instead of skipping up the creek, it bounced off another rock with a cracking sound and catapulted itself far off the bank and into the woods. Shikamaru and Naruto both laughed, surprised.

Shikamaru felt peaceful; he wanted to lay on his back and watch the clouds drift by. They sat in comfortable silence together, munching their apples thoughtfully.

“So, it’s a pain but,” Shikamaru started speaking. “_Lord _ Hokage-sama—”

“UGH, no!” Naruto laughed. “No fuckin’ way. You call him that again and I’ll pummel you, asshole!”

Shikamaru grinned, he knew Naruto would get a kick out of that one.

“Okay, okay,” he said. “_Kakashi-sensei_—”

“Fuck, _ thank you_,” Naruto interrupted again, spewing bits of apple everywhere.

“Oi, let me finish,” Shikamaru laughed. _ Same old Naruto, _ he thought to himself and smiled. “Everyone in the village is talking about your birthday comin’ up after your ceremony. Kakashi wants to have a big celebration for it, and Ino and Sakura wanna be in charge of the whole thing.”

Naruto finished his apple and tossed the core behind him into the thicket. He wondered if the fawn would come back to eat it. Naruto lay back, hands behind his head, and sighed loudly.

It was funny, for Naruto’s entire childhood, he wanted recognition and acknowledgement, love and acceptance from the whole village. Now he had everyone’s trust, something he didn’t take lightly, but everyone still treated him… as an outsider. It was as though, aside from his close friends, no one could actually see the real Naruto at all. The village had treated him as a demon from birth and now, since defeating Pein and since the War, they _ idolized _ him—it was dehumanizing in both instances, though Naruto didn’t quite know how to put it into those exact words.

Still, he knew that his birthday and Jonin ceremony would, no doubt, be turned into a _ big thing_.

“_Mendokusē,_" Naruto said, borrowing Shikamaru’s favorite phrase. They both grinned.

“Told you it was,” Shikamaru stood up and stretched. He stared up at the Redwoods, admiring them for a moment before turning back to Naruto.

Naruto looked back at Shikamaru after a moment and said, “What?”

“Well,” Shikamaru fixed his attention onto a rock he was turning over and over in his hand. “Dude, you know you can like, talk to me about shit.”

“About what shit?” Naruto asked, amused.

“You know what I mean,” Shikamaru said and sighed. “Damn, Ino or Sakura would be way better at this…_Mendokusē_.” Despite their years of friendship, Naruto and Shikamaru had never been great at sharing their feelings.

“Shikamaru, I’m _good_,” Naruto said, his gaze falling softly on the running stream. “My birthday’s always been kinda a weird time and Sasuke’s still...gone. I haven’t heard from him for two years and, well, I dunno. Everything’s...changed since the war, man.” He ended it there.

Upon seeing Shikamaru’s furrowed brow, Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, “B-but I’m good! I’m good. You don’t need to worry or anything, I don’t know if Sakura-chan put you up to this but tell her not to worry either.”

“She didn’t put me up to this, Naruto,” Shikamaru said and gave a lop-sided grin. “Glad you’re all good. You know how I hate having to give pep talks.”

“Better get used to it!” Naruto said, loud as ever. “You’ll be the advisor to the _Hokage_ someday!” Naruto pointed to the Hidden Leaf symbol on his forehead protector dramatically and grinned.

“Alright, Future Hokage-sama,” Shikamaru scoffed, unable to hide his amusement. “We should get back to the village. Kakashi instructed me to retrieve you from your little forest hideout for a mission with the other villages of the Shinobi Union. It’s a drag but there are probably gonna be a lot of higher-ups on this mission. Sunagakure, Kirigakure, Iwagakure—”

“Suna high officials?” Naruto interrupted suddenly. “Then, will Gaara be on the mission?”

There was something, an emotion that Shikamaru couldn’t place but was certain it was there, in Naruto’s eyes. It flickered and vanished, but Shikamaru could swear there was a pinkish hue coloring Naruto’s cheekbones. Evidently, Shikamaru had taken too long to answer and Naruto looked away sheepishly.

“I don’t think so,” Shikamaru said. “After all, Kakashi's staying in the village and sending _ us _ to do all the hard work.”

He shrugged off Naruto’s reaction—Gaara had always evoked interesting reactions from the blonde idiot, after all.

“_Ikuze_,” Naruto said and shot off the ground to the highest branches of the trees.

“Oi, Naruto!” Shikamaru struggled to put his sandals on before starting after Naruto, shaking his head and smiling. “_Mattaku_, don’t get so excited.”

~~~~~~

Kankuro stood with his back to one of the windows in his little brother’s office, arms crossed. He kept glancing between Gaara, seated in the Kazekage chair to his right, and Temari, cross-legged on the floor. She had brought out her enormous fan and had set to work cleaning it, no doubt as a means of assuaging her anxiety and keeping her hands busy.

Kankuro cleared his throat for the fifth time and Temari shot him a look; they both knew better than to rush Gaara’s thought process. He’d speak when he was ready, without their prying or questioning.

Finally, Gaara said, “Kankuro,” and both older siblings looked up at him. Gaara gazed out of one of the many circular windows in his office. “I’d like for you to tell me more about your most recent mission.”

Kankuro squinted his eyes and looked dumbfounded. “Well, I’ve sent an official report that you already said you—”

“I’m well aware of the report,” Gaara interrupted. Kankuro shut his mouth and nearly berated his little brother for interrupting him—until he became aware that Gaara seemed deeply unsettled and almost...nervous? It was very unlike him.

When Kankuro was young, he observed Gaara solely in a self-centered way, only considering how his little brother’s actions affected _ him_; he had never truly tried to understand what Gaara was going through. The sleepless nights with an enraged Shukaku locked inside of him, their own fucking _father’s_ multiple attempts to assassinate him, the village seeing Gaara as a monster and as a tool…

Now that Kankuro was older, however, and now that his bond with Gaara had strengthened immeasurably, he had begun to be able to read every flicker of emotion in Gaara’s eyes. Whenever Gaara acted in frustration or annoyance, visible only to his siblings—or possibly to someone as emotionally sensitive as Naruto—was the deep sadness in his eyes.

Now, seated at his desk, Gaara seemed anxious—undoubtedly, about future courses of action for Sunagakure, seeing as Kankuro’s most recent mission involved villages and..._ certain nin _ of utmost importance to Gaara and to Suna.

Gaara took a deep breath and closed his eyes, settling himself. He had been fidgeting with a letter on his desk—it was crumpled in several different directions as though he had folded, unfolded and refolded it countless times—until he slipped it secretively into his Kazekage robe.

Temari raised a brow but said nothing, even though she was unable to conceal her curiosity. It was clearly a _ letter_, the type of paper different from a village report or official document, that much to her was certain. And yet, the flash of blue ribbon, the seal on the top right corner...as far as she could tell, it would seem to have come from……

Temari frowned but quickly averted her eyes when Gaara met her gaze.

Gaara stood abruptly and turned towards the window, looking out upon Sunagakure. To the amazement of everyone, especially at first in his early days as the Kazekage, Gaara _ loved _ his village. He loved the very village that had caused him so much pain, holding dear every single villager, shinobi, councilperson and yes, even the daimyo.

The more that Gaara pondered it, the more he realized how easily he could have become spiteful against the place that had so greatly wronged him, that had caused him so much grief and trauma.

But, Gaara smiled, a certain loud blonde ninja helped him see that there were other ways to interact with the world and with one’s past. Naruto was the one who helped Gaara make peace with himself and realize the importance of deepening his bond with Suna.

In fact, during the War, Gaara had even been able to make peace with Shukaku, following the example that Kurama and Naruto had set with their friendship.

_Shukaku, _Gaara thought. No one knew where the Tailed Beasts were now, after Uchiha Sasuke effectively ended the war by releasing them. But, if there was _one_ person who could find them...

“I want to hear about Naruto. No, I _ need _ to hear about Naruto,” Gaara’s voice no longer wavered and it seemed to his siblings that he stood taller, as though there was a bright light in his eyes. “There’s a decision I’ve been cautious about making until I…...but first I’d like to hear about _ him_.”

Kankuro and Temari looked at one another and held eye contact. They could both recall several instances where Gaara admitted to them that Naruto was the only reason he had felt validated enough to become the person that he was today. How Naruto had given him a chance, how Naruto had welcomed him as his friend, despite Gaara hurting those closest to him.

_“I always wonder why he did it,” Gaara had said to his siblings once. “Why, after our fight, Naruto treated me with kindness and friendship in spite of it all—in spite of me trying to kill his teammates and friends, trying to uproot his village and hurt people...trying to kill him._

_ Because I was just like you, _ he told me. _ Because I could see that you were hurt and betrayed, just like me. But I had people to help me, to support me, to acknowledge me. And you’ve had no one, all this time."_

Temari stood up and walked over to Gaara. She placed her hand on his shoulder and held his gaze. “Whatever the decision, whatever choice you have to make, you don’t have to do it alone,” she said, smiling. “We got your back, little brother.”

“_Hn_,” Kankuro nodded and grinned, arms still crossed.

_ “You’ve had no one, all this time,” _ Naruto had told Gaara, and that had been, at one point in time, true.

But looking between the two of his siblings, Gaara couldn’t help but feel that everything had changed since his and Naruto’s fight after the Chuunin Exams. Gaara had people who supported him and, though none would admit it in these exact words, he had his siblings who loved him.

Temari, uncomfortable with the amount of emotional vulnerability, cleared her throat and swatted the back of Kankuro’s head.

“Alright, moron,” she said, hands on her hips. “You’re a godawful storyteller but for Gaara’s sake, try your best.”

Kankuro faltered, opening his mouth to protest before shutting it and composing himself. He scratched at his cheek and absently thought about how he hadn’t shaved since the morning before he set off on his mission.

“Naruto…..huh?”

~~~~~~

Only a handful of elite ninjas were gathered for this particular joint-village mission; Naruto assumed that there would be delegates sent from each village in place of the Kages. The gathering place chosen was one that the mission centered around—_Otogakure_.

Now that the War was over, nations belonging to the Shinobi Union had to decide the best course of action for the Village formerly known as Sound. The natural, pure energy in Otogakure had been disrupted by Orochimaru, who had enslaved and experimented on hundreds, if not thousands, of people—adults as well as, more commonly, children. It was a space that had been ravaged by trauma and fear, something that greatly weighed on Naruto with every passing minute.

Scaling the massive boulders that Oto was known for proved to be a great deal more difficult than Naruto and Shikamaru had imagined. They both concentrated chakra at the bottom of their feet and climbed the surfaces of the tall boulders, but there were several dips in the way of their footholds that made the rock slippery.

Chill winds from the North were relentless as they beat against the two Konoha ninja. They neared the top of one boulder and prepared to leap across to the next, but then Shikamaru found a groove among the stones that was slightly more shielded from the icy winds. Naruto and Shikamaru decided to pause there for lunch—Sakura’s homemade onigiri that she had dropped off at Naruto’s two days prior.

“Sakura-chan says I’m not eating enough,” Naruto said with a huff as he handed Shikamaru an onigiri. Shikamaru took it and grinned; they both munched on the rice balls and looked out over the boulders, nuzzling into their jackets to escape the breeze.

Naruto found it hard to focus on the mission at hand—the energy here was all fucked up. He’d always felt weird shit reverberating from Otogakure, but now that he had learned to use Sage Energy, his senses were heightened and he could _ feel _ energy and chakra much more intensely.

And now, he couldn’t help but feel angry at the state of the Village of Sound—if one could even call it a village. Naruto clenched and unclenched his teeth absently, his jaw tight; he was frustrated and tired of sitting around, waiting for some delegates to arrive so they could all just sit around and _ talk_.

His thoughts drifted to Sasuke—where _ was _ he? Had he ever returned to Otogakure after assembling his team before the War? Naruto found himself wishing he had entered Sage Mode so he could stretch out and try to sense Sasuke’s chakra, when Shikamaru interrupted his thoughts.

“Naruto,” Shikamaru put his hand on Naruto’s shoulder and frowned when Naruto jumped slightly. “Let’s go to the rendezvous point, the others will be arriving soon.”

Naruto nodded and he shook himself—he’d allowed the energy of the area to get to him and had subsequently become agitated and restless. He counted five deep breaths, closed his eyes and allowed his mind to drift...to settle on thoughts of steaming bowls of Tonkotsu ramen from old man Teuchi’s shop. Naruto opened his eyes and rubbed the back of his head absently.

“Heh, sorry man,” Naruto said. “This place...the energy’s all messed up, I can feel it.”

“_Ah,_” Shikamaru said in agreement and tried to mask the concern he was sure shone through in his eyes. They started towards Orochimaru’s abandoned hideout again, climbing to the top of yet another massive boulder and beginning their descent into a thicket of redwoods.

The hideout was hidden under a massive tree—possibly an old oak, Naruto couldn’t tell—but the whole thing was severely damaged. The wind whistled through the poor tree’s hollowed-out trunk and there were bits of rubble and log strewn about. No doubt it was in such disarray because of Ero-Sennin, Sakura-chan and Naruto, who had destroyed the entire Base in search of Sasuke.

“We’re meeting _ here_?” Naruto asked, exasperated.

“Yes,” Shikamaru said firmly. “This is the one former hideout of Orochimaru’s that we _ know _ to be abandoned. Our intel suggests that there are at least six other main hideouts, in and around the area formerly known as Sound. There are a lot of squatters occupying the others, even though—”

“Whoa,” Naruto said. “_Intel?_ I didn’t even realize we were sending squadrons into Oto to investigate old hideouts! _Suge_...”

Shikamaru was silent for awhile, wrestling with whether or not to tell Naruto the source of Konoha’s intel before the meeting, or if he should just wait until he would reveal it to the entire group of delegates.

“Naruto,” Shikamaru turned to Naruto and sighed. “...There’s something I have to tell you about our intel...”

“It’ll have to wait,” Naruto said, grinning widely and gesturing towards an approaching figure. Shikamaru didn’t have to look up to guess who it was because, at that moment, he could hear the person rapping.

“Naruto-no, yo!” It was Killer Bee speaking in his usual rhythmic fashion. “All the way from Kumo, I traveled through the Shimo snow. Who the hell chose this as our meeting place, teba_yo_?”

Naruto grinned widely at Bee’s incorporation of his own favorite phrase into a rap. Shikamaru watched them interact with one another and smiled.

“I don’t even _ know_!” Naruto kept up with the same rhythm that Bee used when he spoke. “This place has mad weird energy, dattebayo!” They bumped fists and Bee nodded a couple of times before speaking again.

“I’m glad you’re here, Naruto, hey,” Bee said. “There’s something I need to talk with you about, o-kay.”

“You too? Alright, oh shit! Speaking of,” Naruto said. “Shikamaru, what did you—”

“Never mind that,” Shikamaru said, nodding to Bee in greeting and bowing slightly. “Bee-san. C’mon, the others may already be in there.”

“I doubt it, ohh yeah! I run faster than a bear! We’ll surely be the first ones _there_,” Bee rapped and crossed his arms at the end, earning a loud laugh from Naruto.

They were, in fact, the first to arrive but the others came within the next couple of minutes. Naruto recognized those who showed up—and they certainly recognized and knew _ him _ very well—but he had evidently forgotten their names. Luckily for him, Shikamaru was there.

“That’s Kurotsuchi, a kunoichi from Iwagakure and spokesperson for the Tsuchikage,” Shikamaru whispered. She took a seat at the great stone table across from Naruto and smiled warmly at him.

Naruto nodded to her, suddenly feeling rather self-conscious. He had just barely become a Jonin—he hadn’t even had his official _ ceremony _ yet—and here were high officials acting as _ spokespeople _ for the Kages.

Following Kurotsuchi came Chojuro of Kirigakure, delegate for the Mizukage.

“He looks kinda weak and sickly,” Naruto whispered loudly, thinking only Shikamaru could hear him.

“Ha, he’s actually one of the last remaining Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist,” Shikamaru said softly, rolling his eyes. Naruto gasped audibly, making eye contact with Chojuro. Chojuro smiled shyly and looked away, blushing.

The last to arrive was the delegate from Suna. Naruto had, in all honesty, expected Gaara’s big sister to show up. Evidently, Shikamaru had, too, which explained both of their surprise (and Shikamaru’s sulking, Naruto thought to himself gleefully) at seeing Kankuro instead.

They all exchanged pleasantries and reintroduced themselves to one another. None had expected Naruto to be there, as he wasn’t the official advisor to the Hokage, but seeing as this was indeed Naruto, everyone welcomed him.

“Now that everyone has arrived,” Shikamaru said, nodding to each shinobi in turn. “Let’s decide what we’re going to do about _Otogakure_.”

~~~~~~

The meeting had started out calmly enough, Kankuro observed. He often glanced over at Naruto and was usually rewarded with the blonde’s typical cartoonish facial expressions. To Kankuro, Naruto didn’t seem like the type of guy to be a part of these meetings. He seemed to like action more than words but, then again, Kankuro had to admit to himself that Naruto was one of the most surprising ninjas he had ever met.

Naruto’s sometimes clumsy but ultimately confident and genuine words had the power to change people. After all, Kankuro never would have expected that, through Naruto’s influence, his own relationship with his little brother—and his older sister as a result—could change so drastically. Nor did he expect Naruto to convince the minds of Pein, Uchiha Obito, or Uchiha Sasuke to believe in him and his ideals but yet, here they all were.

“Konoha’s intel has found that there are several hideouts and laboratories which need further investigation, but we should proceed with caution,” Shikamaru was saying.

“Our intel also suggests that after the end of the War, several groups of people—possibly victims of Orochimaru’s experiments—began hiding out in places underground,” he continued. “If we can send small units of no more than four or five shinobi to each hideout, we’ll be able to proceed with more thorough investigations involving all five Villages.”

“Shikamaru, was it?” Kurotsuchi of Iwa said suddenly. “How did you come by this _ intel_? How do we know that it’s trustworthy?”

_ Tch. Just as proud and distrustful as ever, Iwagakure, _ Kankuro thought to himself bitterly.

“Yes, I was just about to get to that,” Shikamaru took a deep breath and glanced at Naruto uneasily. Naruto seemed just as puzzled as he had when the meeting began.

“Spearheading the gathering of intel in Otogakure,” he said slowly. “Is Konohagakure’s...Uchiha Sasuke.”

There was silence, a moment where everyone could hear the rustling of leaves and the wind whipping through the holes in the tree. Then, as if everyone processed what was said all at the same moment, Kurotsuchi stood abruptly in her outrage and was about to shout, when Kankuro spoke over her in his own frustration.

“What the _ fuck?”_ Kankuro demanded. “Uchiha Sasuke _directly_ threatened the lives of the Kage, and the Tailed Beasts...and _ everyone in the world!_ And now he’s _ spearheading _ a project to bring peace to a land ravaged by _ his _very own shishou?”

“How can we trust intel from a _criminal_, one who we _all_ agreed should die for his treason?” Kurotsuchi added savagely, looking at no one in particular. “Has he made amends for the crimes he committed?”

The Third Tsuchikage had never hid his dislike for Sasuke, and evidently neither did his granddaughter.

Even Chojuro spoke up, “L-lady Mizukage’s official stance is that she will not support any missing-nin, especially after the Uchiha's attacks on the Summit.”

“Sasuke is making amends for his crimes right now,” Shikamaru said, remaining calm. Kakashi had expected something like this would happen and had briefed Shikamaru on what to say.

“None know Orochimaru’s former hideouts, nor this territory, as well as Sasuke and his team do,” Shikamaru continued. “To, in his own words, ‘atone for his sins,’ Sasuke volunteered to lead this project under the direct supervision of the Hokage, ANBU, and all of Konohagakure’s shinobi.”

“So only Konohagakure is keeping an eye on this man?” Kurotsuchi asked. “He betrayed your nation and he’s living free of any _ consequences _ now?”

“How do we know he won’t try anything again?” It was Bee who spoke up now, looking apologetically but firmly in Naruto’s direction. The room grew quiet—Bee naturally had that type of commanding presence, after all.

Everyone turned to Naruto, whose gaze rested at his feet. They could hear the tree creaking above the former hideout, the wind singing through the cracks in the walls. No one spoke for a long while.

At last, Naruto spoke, his voice soft, “I...wasn’t aware that Sasuke would be in charge of rebuilding Otogakure.”

“Naruto, _omae_—” Kankuro started to say, but when he met Naruto’s gaze, he stopped.

There was something piercing in Naruto’s intense blue eyes, as though he had shouldered a lot of guilt and pain over Uchiha Sasuke. Everyone had expected Naruto to react in anger but he was surprisingly calm and collected.

Here was a shinobi who had held discussions with those that the world thought to be _ terrorists _ and had borne the heavy burden of assuming responsibility for all the wrongdoings of the past. And yet again, he was being called upon to mediate a potentially disastrous situation. No wonder Hokage Kakashi had assigned Naruto to this mission, Kankuro thought.

Naruto held Kankuro’s gaze and Kankuro realized, with sudden clarity, that Naruto would very well be the best Hokage the world had ever seen. Naruto looked into the eyes of every shinobi sitting around the table as he slowly brought his bandaged right arm up to rest it on the stone table.

It was as though everyone in the room held their breath altogether; here was the hero who had risked his life to save the world, and yet to them he seemed both humble and composed.

“Look, I know how hard it must be for you all to imagine Uchiha Sasuke rebuilding the Sound,” Naruto started, looking at Shikamaru and giving him a small, sad smile. “The War damaged each and every person, the _Infinite Tsukuyomi_ left people confused and hurt and traumatized. We’re trying to rebuild our own villages—our own people!—let alone villages like _Otagakure_, which have been destroyed by monsters like Orochimaru….I know that a lot of people blame Sasuke for a bunch of shit...even people from my own Village...my classmates and my friends." At that, Shikamaru's gaze settled briefly on the table before returning to Naruto.

“Sasuke and me fought and...that was hard for both of us. We almost killed each other, and both of us lost our arms in the process. But I will still always call him my friend, and I will still always call him my ally. Because he’s been through fucked up shit none of you would even _ believe_. _Konohagakure_, the village that I love and believe in, betrayed and abandoned his older brother Itachi and Sasuke—an orphan! A child!” Naruto broke off abruptly and looked away for a moment before regaining his composure.

He continued, “Sasuke has proven himself worthy of this task, to rebuild Oto—he abandoned his plan to eliminate the Kage and the Tails when we had our battle. And as a further testament to Sasuke’s change, the Sage of Six Paths jii-chan put his trust in _ both _ of us to try and better the world. In fact, I wouldn’t have been able to save everyone from the _Infinite Tsukuyomi_ if it wasn’t for Sasuke!”

There was some murmuring around the table—evidently, not many had known that the founder of _Ninshu_ had put his faith in Uchiha Sasuke. But Naruto wasn’t finished talking, and everyone shut their mouths when he resumed his speech.

“Ever since I met Sasuke, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to make changes to Konoha without his help,” Naruto said, quieter now. It was as though he was admitting this aloud to himself and the others were merely there to bear witness to his thoughts. “But I also know now that I need to let him go….Maybe I didn’t even realize it now, but yeah. He’s got to go do things his way, to rebuild the world in _ his _ own way…”

They were all quiet for a moment, deep in thought. Shikamaru remembered being on the battlefield, Naruto’s chakra protecting everyone, when they had all borne witness to Naruto’s thoughts and feelings about Sasuke. The two had strangely been drawn to one another and Shikamaru had always assumed there to be more than met the eye with regards to their rivalry and...friendship.

As if on cue, sensing that Shikamaru was thinking about him, Naruto looked right at him and flashed a grin. Shikamaru opened his mouth—possibly to say something, he couldn’t be sure—but merely shook his head slightly and smiled. Konoha’s #1 Most Surprising Ninja was an understatement of Naruto to say the least.

Kurotsuchi, much to the surprise of everyone, stood up and bowed her head slightly.

“Naruto,” she said, staring at the ground. “I...take after my ji-ji. We’re both proud as hell and rarely say sorry but….” Kurotsuchi bit out the next part, almost begrudgingly, “maybe I misjudged you...and the Uchiha.”

Kankuro seemed just as shocked by what she said as—if not more than—Naruto.

“That’s not really an apology,” Chojuro muttered, smiling and rubbing the back of his head.

“The hell did you just say, Kirigakure?” Kurotsuchi said loudly, but everyone knew it was in jest. She continued, “But it still stands to reason that, speaking for the nation of Iwagakure, we’d like to be given updates on the Uchiha’s whereabouts and his…team’s findings.” Kurotsuchi put up air-quotes around the word “team.”

“That’s reasonable,” Shikamaru said, jotting some things down on a notepad. “This is only the first of many joint-village meetings, of course the Five Kage will have to be present at another Summit. We’ll all have to come together again with our Kage in order to discuss further steps for re-establishing smaller villages, like Otogakure and the former Uzumaki clan village of Uzushiogakure.” At this, Shikamaru looked pointedly at Naruto.

“T-the Uzumaki clan village?” Naruto gaped.

“That discussion is for another time, baka,” Shikamaru said quietly. He cleared his throat and addressed the table again, “It is the formal position of Konohagakure to support Uchiha Sasuke in rebuilding Otogakure in becoming its own village. We’d appreciate the dedicated support of all of the Shinobi Union but realize that you have to report this back to your Kage. Rokudaime Hokage will be awaiting the—”

Naruto interrupted, “And if Sasuke fucks up again—and I bet my fucking _ life _ that he won’t—we’ll be there to set him on the right path. And you can have my head on a fucking platter if I end up being wrong.” Naruto closed his bandaged hand—with an effort—into a fist and raised it to his chest. “And I never fuckin’ go back on my word, that’s my Ninja Way!”

“_Mendokusē_,” Shikamaru chuckled, shaking his head.

“You never fail to surprise, Uzumaki Naruto,” Kankuro said, grinning. Kankuro thought of how he would write his report to Gaara—whether he’d include that the headstrong Tsuchikage’s granddaughter had nearly apologized to Naruto over the matter of _Uchiha_ _ Sasuke_.

_ Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto, _ Kankuro thought to himself. He honestly wasn’t sure how he’d broach _ that _ topic with Gaara in the first place.

The meeting drifted to a close and the delegates readied themselves for their journeys back to their own villages. A few, like Kurotsuchi and Chojuro, had missions elsewhere before they were meant to return home; so after respectful goodbyes, they headed off.

In the two years since the War, it had become easier for shinobi to travel between villages. There were measures being taken to improve transportation, particularly among the Unified Five Villages. And with an increase in people passing through the various territories came an increase in restaurants, bars, hostels and inns all throughout the Lands of Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Lightning.

Although Kankuro had a three to four day journey ahead of him back to Suna, he was looking forward to treating himself to one night at his favorite bed-and-breakfast in the Land of Fire. Just as Kankuro was getting ready to depart, however, Naruto called after him.

Kankuro turned as Naruto approached him and, to Kankuro’s surprise, Naruto was..._ blushing _.

“Neh, how’s….Gaara doing?” Naruto’s voice was soft as he asked this. There was something bright in his eyes and yet, far-off, as though he was recalling some memory.

“He’s...good,” Kankuro said slowly and at first, he left it at that. Naruto shuffled his feet awkwardly. Both of them avoided eye contact with each other and the silence was heavy between them.

But then, Kankuro came to the realization that he owed Naruto _ more _ than just that, a better explanation than that. Naruto deserved to know more about Gaara than mere pleasantries exchanged between ninja of different villages. Naruto and Gaara’s...relationship was one that transcended their villages of origin; indeed, maybe it was strong enough to transcend even _ lifetimes_.

The two had connected on such a deep level that, unbeknownst to Kankuro or even to Gaara and Naruto themselves, their subconscious minds had frequently interacted within the Tailed Beast Psychic Plane when they were both Jinchuuriki.

It was as though Gaara and Naruto were linked somehow, they had both become comfortable with the other’s presence even before they could interact with their own Tails. Once the Akatsuki stripped Shukaku from Gaara, even after Chiyo-baa and Naruto revived him, both Naruto and Gaara felt as though they experienced a great loss, something they were unable to explain to anyone, let alone to themselves.

“He’s—” Kankuro seemed just as surprised as Naruto did that he had begun to speak again. Kankuro continued, not failing to notice Naruto’s almost childlike expression of joy and excitement at hearing news of Gaara, “he’s still rebuilding Suna, y’know, after the War and everything. He….found out more about our mother, doing research and stuff after all that our dad said during the War and—”

Kankuro stopped talking as soon as he realized that he was rambling. He briefly wondered if it would embarrass Gaara, but Kankuro was unable to stop as soon as the thought came into his head. Kankuro rushed out, “Gaara...talks about you, wonders how you’re doing.”

Naruto had been listening, fixing his gaze on the tops of the trees as Kankuro was talking. But now, Naruto looked right into Kankuro’s eyes, his own eyes colored with disbelief. “Gaara….talks about me?”

_ Shit. _ Kankuro thought to himself. “Well, I mean,” Kankuro tried to shrug it off.

Maybe he shouldn’t have said it after all, _ fuck_. But just as Kankuro thought this, Naruto graced him with the most wonderful, genuine smile that made Kankuro glad he’d blurted it out after all.

“Really?” Naruto asked, searching Kankuro’s expression for any faults. Naruto really never was good at hiding his emotions—they always shone true in his eyes...and his cheeks...honestly his entire face betrayed him. _ He’d be terrible at poker, _ Kankuro thought. Now, Naruto was glowing, as though Gaara thinking of and talking about him to his own siblings was the best news Naruto had ever received.

_ The brat wears his heart on his fuckin’ sleeve, _Kankuro thought and smiled slightly.

His little brother wasn’t quite at that level of openness, but similarly to Naruto, the ones dearest to Gaara could read him like an open book. Both Temari and Kankuro could always immediately pinpoint the shift in Gaara whenever Naruto was brought up around him. And it seemed now, to Kankuro, that Naruto had a very similar reaction whenever Gaara’s name was mentioned. And maybe, one day, Kankuro would be able to put that into words for Gaara.

~~~~~~

Home from the mentally and emotionally exhausting mission, Naruto flopped onto his bed. After the war, Naruto had returned to the same little apartment that he had grown up in, much to the dismay of Kakash’-sensei and Sakura-chan.

_“Kakash'-sensei can secure you a new apartment closer to the Hokage Residence building,” Sakura had said to Naruto as they walked through the streets of Konoha together._

_He shook his head, looking towards Hokage Rock. “Nah, Dad never lived there and I don’t ever want to either.”_

_“Don’t be fuckin’ stubborn,” Sakura said, punching him in the arm playfully and laughing._

_“It’s not about being stubborn,” Naruto remained serious, but smiled at her. “It’s about reminding myself where I came from, all those years ago, and….it’s my promise, to Konoha.”_

_“Promise?” Sakura asked. The word “promise” had history between the two friends, except that now, Naruto seemed less like the goofy kid she grew up alongside of and more like a leader destined for greatness._

_“Yeah, I’m never gonna let what happened to Sasuke ever happen to anyone again,” Naruto said. “That’s a promise.” He hesitated, but then ultimately decided to flash her a grin and give a thumbs-up._

_The gesture wasn’t lost on Sakura. She looked into the eyes of her childhood friend, but was unable to hold his gaze for long. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes and she forced herself to look away, embarrassed._

_“Bastard,” she mumbled, swiping her sleeve across her eyes. “I don’t know if this was your plan all along but….ramen’s on me today.” She added savagely, “...idiot.”_

_“FUCK YEAH,” Naruto shouted and nudged her arm. “Bet I can beat you there, Sakura-chaaan!”_

_“No fair!” She had shouted after him, laughing, as he bolted towards Ichiraku Ramen._

Naruto grinned at the memory—it seemed as though it was only a few weeks ago that they had all returned to Konoha. _ Two fuckin’ years, _ Naruto shook his head in disbelief, placing his hands behind his head and sighing.

True, he knew he was physically and mentally exhausted from all the missions and the long hours he spent studying to become a Jonin. But unlike when he was younger, Naruto found that it was difficult for him to fall asleep now, ever since the War.

He made a mental note to drop by Sakura-chan’s later and see how she was doing. She worked pretty long hours at the hospital now and, during her free time, she helped Ino at the flower shop. Maybe he’d visit her there and see Ino while he was at it—kill two birds with one stone.

When they were kids, Naruto had never felt that he and Ino were particularly _ close _ but surprisingly, it was during the War when their friendship had been strengthened. Thanks to Ino’s telepathic prowess, she was able to really _ see _and hear Naruto’s thoughts and feelings, even when those close to him, like Sakura and Kakashi, couldn’t. In fact, using the Mind Body Transmission Jutsu, Ino had transmitted Naruto’s memories about growing up and about Sasuke to the entire Allied Shinobi Forces.

Naruto winced upon remembering that...it was a little bit embarrassing to recall broadcasting his feelings about Sasuke to the entire warfront, including to Sasuke himself.

_Feelings, _ Naruto caught himself. He sighed, supposing it was true.

Naruto had known for awhile, of course, but he hadn’t admitted it to himself until his fight with Sasuke. Lying side-by-side, blood staining the rock where their arms once were, Sasuke had asked Naruto, point-blank—most likely already knowing the answer himself but needing to confirm it—why Naruto did so much for him. Why, again and again, Naruto went the extra mile for Sasuke. Sasuke knew the excuse about “being Naruto’s friend” was bullshit, and had called him out on it over the years.

So why had Naruto continued to keep his faith in Sasuke, after all these years? After everyone else in Konoha had been ready to find Sasuke and kill him, even _Sakura and Kakashi_, why had Naruto remained resolute?

And the first thought that came into Naruto’s head, as he and Sasuke were nearly dying, was,

_ Because I love you. _

But it wasn’t the right moment, for some reason or another, Naruto had justified to himself. He could almost hear in his head—in Kurama’s voice, naturally—_then when would the right time have been, idiot? _

It was true that both Sasuke and Naruto thought they would die, and both had come to terms with dying at the hand of the other, almost contented that their ultimate end would be side-by-side. It seemed almost prophetic, in a twisted way.

But a lot had changed between them in the two years since the war.

Thanks to the war, Naruto was dealing with grief and trauma the likes of which he had never before seen or experienced. And he suffered great loss—something that he, in part, attributed to Sasuke vanishing after their fight. The two hadn’t been in contact since the day Tsunade Baa-chan had performed surgery on Naruto and he’d received his prosthetic limb. Sasuke had refused, choosing instead to live with the tangible reminder of everything that had come to pass.

But the aftermath of the war also offered Naruto a deep sense of clarity. He was rebuilding himself—who he _ was _ and what he valued—and strengthening his relationships with others in Konoha and the Shinobi Union.

And now, though it had been a gradual process up until this point in time, he chose to let Sasuke go. Naruto still loved him, it wasn’t about that. Naruto knew, deep down, that the two would forever be connected and that quite possibly, he’d always love Sasuke. Naruto, within the past two years, had begun to think less and less of whether or not Sasuke felt the same way about him.

The Toad Sages taught Naruto to let go of earthly attachments—something he had never been able to grasp. After all, it was Gaara who had said to him once, _“Uzumaki Naruto, Konohagakure is strong because it has you, the one who cherishes a friend’s bond more than anyone I’ve ever known.”_ Naruto absently ran his thumb over his bottom lip.

However, Naruto finally felt that he was beginning to understand what the Sages meant—to let go. He felt that he was _ finally _ ready to move forward, in more ways than one.

Naruto opened his eyes suddenly and sprang from his bed. He shoved his arms through the sleeves of his jacket and rushed out the door. The villagers seemed unfazed as Naruto raced through the streets of Konoha, screeching to a halt in front of one of the Village’s new Aviaries.

In the two years since the War, communication between villages—even between and among civilians—had increased tenfold. At the start of his term as the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi authorized the construction of five different Messenger Hawk aviaries, one for each of the other villages and an extra for outlying territories.

Naruto burst into the Suna hawk building and caused several of the hawks to rouse themselves, flustered.

“Sorry,” Naruto called to the birds as he rushed to the front desk. The receptionist at the front desk had just finished feeding the mountain hawk-eagles and was about to move on to the rough-legged hawks when Naruto slammed his hands on the counter.

“Oh, Naruto-kun!” the receptionist jumped. Fortunately, they were used to Naruto barging in and making a ruckus. “It’s been a little while since you were in here last!” The receptionist narrowed their eyes and lowered their voice, whispering, “same recipient?”

Naruto nodded, folding a piece of paper and tying a bright blue ribbon around it. He’d forced Kakashi to teach him some basic seals that he could encrypt into his messages so that none could intercept and read his letters. “And same hawk, if she’s available,” Naruto added.

The receptionist nodded, walking over to one of the cages and clicking their tongue endearingly at the mountain hawk in the cage. “She’s a great bird,” the receptionist assured him. “Tomo here should get your message to Kazekage-sama in less than a day’s time.”

Naruto left the aviary feeling strangely dizzy and excited. He felt so great that he decided to treat himself to a bowl of ramen. He sighed and recalled that it was _ his _turn to treat Sakura-chan to ramen next and decided, why not? Naruto figured he’d pop by the flower shop and see if she and Ino were there, maybe invite them both out to ramen.

He couldn’t stop grinning, knowing that he should be careful with his thoughts around Ino but not caring anyway. Ino was sharp, she’d be able to figure out what the message he’d just sent was—and how it made his heart thump erratically in his chest just thinking about it.

In his boldest letter yet, Naruto had written to Gaara,

_ I know I’m not the Hokage yet, but I’ll take you up on that drink. It’s gonna be my birthday, after all. - Naruto _

~~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading chapter one! Naruto is a blusher when it comes to pretty boys--& Sas and Gaara are /def/ pretty boys.
> 
> In this fic, I'm tryna give the female characters in Naruto some of their dignity back, because kishi did most of them p dirty. The womxn in Naruto are, in reality, complex and /badass/ and cool & they deserve proper recognition and character arcs that reflect how wonderfully complex womxn are in real life.


	2. Naruto becomes a Jonin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~~~~~  
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE! Just want y'all to know that I think about this fic a lot, even if I don't post that often. I been mad busy w school and work and life, but I'm committed to this story!! Don't you worry, there's a lot more in store for our sweet RamenBoi and SandGay.
> 
> As always, thanks to my bros who let me run ideas by them and give me advice + edits. Love my homies!
> 
> Last but not least, there's something that happens in this chapter which does diverge from canon...I'm gonna explain why I made the decision to change something in the end notes.  
~~~~~~

“What the _fuck _ did you just say?”

“_Kankuro_.” Temari’s voice was lethal as she shot him a look of warning.

Temari and Kankuro stood with Gaara in his office, their shoulders tense and expressions tight.

_“There is something I have to tell you.” Gaara had said to his siblings, echoing their earlier conversation on the roof of the Kazekage building. “Something that I’ve been unable to reveal to you until I was certain it could be done—safely.” _

_ Kankuro detected, though he couldn’t pinpoint it until later, the slightest touch of doubt in Gaara’s eyes. _

_ “...Until I felt certain that it would be the best decision to make,” Gaara finished quietly. _

_ The following silence was broken only by the clock in the far corner of Gaara’s office, ticking loudly. _

Kankuro reeled on his sister, “Temari, you—” But he stopped abruptly the moment he recognized the anxiety evident in the way she clenched her jaw, in the furrowing of her brows.

_ Gaara touched the roll of parchment in the pocket of his Kazekage robe. When he unrolled it just slightly, Gaara was able to glide his fingertips across the raised words—the clumsy handwriting. _

_ He gently traced his thumb over the ribbon on the roll of parchment, lips almost giving way to a smile. The ribbon was the most brilliant shade of blue. _

Temari held Kankuro’s gaze for a moment longer before calmly turning to Gaara. In spite of her immediate frustration, her role as the eldest had prepared Temari to be calm and level-headed in situations like this.

_ “A decision? Will it affect the Village?” Temari asked calmly, though she felt strangely uneasy. Gaara said nothing for a moment. The clock ticked loudly. _

_ “Yes,” Gaara responded softly, meeting his older sister’s gaze. Gaara took a deep breath, looking at both his siblings in turn. _

Temari knew that Gaara felt he had to go through with this, his priority most likely being to protect the village. And yet, Temari could detect something...hidden in Gaara’s eyes.

_ Tick, tick, tick. _

Like the village wasn’t the only thing he was concerned about protecting. Like there was another factor, just as important to him as the village, lying just beneath the surface.

_ Gaara finally spoke, “I’m going to ask Naruto to help me find Shukaku and Kurama." _

_ Before Temari or Kankuro could say anything, Gaara continued, “We’ll be Jinchuurikis once more.” _

Even though she understood where Gaara was coming from, Temari stood firm, her gaze resolute and unyielding. There was no denying that this would be a risk, something that Gaara must have long ago realized.

A surge of protectiveness seized both Kankuro and Temari. Neither of the older siblings would allow this to happen, a fact of which both of them were distinctly aware.

It was their duty to look after Gaara and it was their job to make sure nothing like...._that_...would ever happen again——

_ “Naruto,” Temari had called out. Her voice was unwavering and strong but her teal-blue eyes betrayed her—the crescents under her eyes were dark, her face pale. _

_ The two most precious people in her life were slipping from her grasp. The two people in this life on whom she could fully and entirely rely. The two she’d finally learned to trust and love._

_Her little brothers. _

_ And she couldn’t save them—either of them. Though Kankuro was recovering, Temari knew how close they had been to losing him. How close they were to losing Gaara now. _

Temari’s voice came out in a rasp, “Gaara, you can’t _ put _ yourself through all that again. We almost lost you because of that..._Thing _ once before.”

Kankuro added roughly, “Sealing the spirit of the Ichibi inside you is _reckless_.”

“Not to mention the fact that it could take weeks to even _ find _ the Ichibi and Kyuubi,” Temari said, trying to remain calm. “And even _ if _ the Sealing was successful, Gaara, how long would it take to recover from it? You _ know _ this. You know this is a risk.”

_ Naruto turned to look at the eldest sister of Gaara. Temari was shocked to see that the pain and grief she herself was feeling was mirrored in the eyes of this Leaf shinobi—this _ boy_. _

_ The first to acknowledge Gaara. The first to see her little brother for who he was and not just as Suna’s demon. The first to reach Gaara—even before Kankuro or Temari dared try. _

_ “Please....” Temari bowed her head low, “bring Gaara back.” _

_ Gaara was fading—Temari could feel it deep in her core. His heartbeat had grown softer and softer. The look in Naruto’s eyes made Temari aware that deep down, he must’ve known. Naruto, too, must’ve felt that Gaara was... _

_ ....dying._

“Have you even thought any of this _ through_?” Kankuro was practically yelling. “We’re your _ advisors_, Gaara. You’ve been thinking about this for two years and you haven’t ever mentioned it ‘til _ now?”_

Kankuro began pacing in his frustration, “And that damn Tsunade-Hime….” He slammed his fist into the wall dramatically, “_K’-so! _”

“_Shit_, Kankuro, calm the _ fuck _ down,” Temari said sharply. She looked at Gaara, panic beginning to seize her.

And yet, there was Gaara, calm and quiet and gazing out the window, as he was wont to do.

_ Devoid of any sort of defeat or pessimism, Naruto nodded slowly and firmly, “Ossu.” Temari jerked her head up, surprised by how determined the boy sounded. _

The three siblings said nothing for a long while, watching together as the last of the sun’s rays disappeared over the horizon. Suna settled into a deep purplish haze and the Village was quiet apart from the mourning doves’ sorrowful coos.

_ Strangely enough, this moment—more than any other—was what made Temari trust Naruto. The grief that she felt weighing on her, crushing her, was a pain that she knew the two of them shared. _

_ And yet, in Naruto’s simple and solid response, Temari’s worry melted away almost entirely. Because he _ would _ bring Gaara home safely, of this both of them were now sure. _

After a long while, Gaara spoke, his voice soft, “_Wakatteru_…”

Temari and Kankuro tore their gaze from the window and stared at Gaara. Kankuro started to say, “Th-then—”

“It’s the only way I can think to repay him...for everything….” Gaara said.

_ Naruto began to turn away but before he did, he flashed Temari a genuine, wide grin. Her eyes widened, but before she could say anything in response, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi and Chiyo Baa-sama set off_ _..._

_...to save her youngest brother. _

Temari was hit with a sudden wave of sadness. Was this...guilt that Gaara was feeling? No, not quite. _ Not quite that, _ Temari thought. _ Fuck. _ The two boys—already becoming men in front of Temari’s very eyes—had been given the short end of the stick, time and time again.

_ The Village owes everything to Gaara, _Temari thought.

By saving Gaara from a life of loneliness and his path of destruction and darkness, Naruto had indirectly saved the lives of both Temari and Kankuro. And because of Gaara’s influence on Suna, the village itself had been able to rebuild. It was one of the most beautiful progressions Temari felt she had ever had the privilege of bearing witness to.

Gaara looked towards Kankuro, who was staring pointedly at the ground. 

“Kankuro,” Gaara said and Kankuro slowly looked up. They met the other’s gaze. Gaara could see that, beneath the masked expression of anger, Kankuro was _ worried_.

“I’m sorry,” Gaara didn’t falter as he said this. He looked first at Kankuro and then at Temari.

“I understand that this is asking a lot from the two of you,” Gaara said. “And….I feel as though...I’m asking a lot from the Village, as her Kazekage. I’m not turning my back on Sunagakure or on my duties.”

The three of them grew silent. The ticking of the clock was the only sound to be heard.

Kankuro fixed his attention on picking at his fingernails.

“I don’t give a damn about the Village,” Kankuro bit out, making Temari cough. His eyes widened and he, himself, cleared his throat before continuing. “I mean, fuck, you know I _ do_, but—” Kankuro glared at his big sister for making him sound bad.

Kankuro tried again, “The reason I’m opposed to the whole thing is because we..." He looked at Temari, "because _I_ failed to protect you last time. You—this is..too dangerous. You’ll be far from the Village and if anything happens, we may not get to you quick enough. If something goes wrong, we can't...” Kankuro faltered, looking at the ground with his brows furrowed.

“We won’t be able to protect you,” Temari added. The implied, “again,” hung in the air between the three of them.

“I understand that it’s something the three of us need time to consider,” Gaara said after a moment. “If it's something we decide to do, then we'll have to inform the council, inform the other Villages, make sure that Suna is safe while I'm gone." He added, "We don't need to decide right away."

His siblings shared a look before nodding. The three felt emotionally _drained_.

"It’s been a long day," Temari said softly. "I think it’s time we all get some rest.” Gaara nodded.

Just as he turned to face the door, a gust of air flowed through the window into his office. Nighttime desert air always held such a beautifully sweet smell.

Gaara walked towards the door slowly. “If you decide together that this is too risky a decision to make,” he chose his words carefully. “Then I will defer to your judgment.”

He looked back at his siblings, holding their gaze. Then, surprising Temari and Kankuro, Gaara _ smiled_, eyes bright and reassuring.

“Your input is important to me,” Gaara said. “You are my advisors and I know that whatever you decide, both of you always keep Suna's best interests at heart.”

And with that, tightly holding onto the letter hidden in his Kazekage robe, Gaara walked out of his office—leaving his older siblings stunned and wondering if the entire conversation the three had shared was just a figment of their imagination.

~~~~~~

Naruto visited the Suna aviary as often as he could, without drawing too much attention to himself. He was awaiting Gaara’s response and, to his own surprise, actually felt a little...jittery whenever he thought about meeting up with Gaara for a drink.

Naruto had popped into the aviary already _ three _ times that morning (and he’d received several quirked brows and shocked glances from some of the older villagers who were amazed that he was up before 11a.m.) before deciding to pick up some groceries and return home.

And so it was that, upon returning to his little apartment, Naruto had nearly dropped his bag of veggies when he, barefoot, trod in a great pile of animal shit.

“Oh, fuck!” Naruto yelled in dismay, his gaze immediately settling on the culprit: a beautiful and majestic hawk was perched at the foot of his bed, staring at him almost mockingly.

Naruto knew that this was his own fault for always leaving his windows open, and he chuckled to himself. He hopped over to the sink and comically stretched his leg so that he could run water over the bottom of his foot.

He assumed that the hawk was merely from Sakura or Ino to remind him, _ again_, that his birthday celebration they were planning was gonna be _ “major,” _as they kept calling it.

The hawk flew over to Naruto to rest on his shoulder. It was a beautiful sand-colored bird with piercing yellow eyes hooded in dark black feathers. Naruto bent his arm to stroke its feathers as he carefully maneuvered his outstretched leg out of the sink. Upon closer examination of the bird, Naruto realized that it was a _ desert _ hawk, and pure-bred at that. _It must be from a higher-up official, someone like…._ Naruto inhaled sharply. Of course.

“You’re Gaara’s, hm?” Naruto chuckled, continuing to pet the desert hawk. “Figures that it’d be _ his _ hawk to take a shit in my bedroom.” The bird ruffled its feathers and straightened to its full height. It stretched out its left leg to reveal a roll of parchment tied with a grey ribbon.

Naruto became aware of his own heartbeat. He touched the paper softly and had the sudden urge to deeply inhale its scent...he wondered what Gaara’s office smelled like, or if Gaara had written the letter at a desk in his bedroom. Or perhaps facing out an open window, the desert breeze gently rustling his red hair. Naruto shook his head and laughed at himself, dismissing the line of thought.

Naruto released the seal on the parchment and it dissipated in a cloud of _orange_ smoke. Naruto smiled softly at the thought of Gaara sealing it so it would release Naruto’s favorite color. A little special something just for Naruto. He shivered slightly.

He uncurled the parchment. In Gaara’s elegant handwriting, it read:

_ October 10. Halfway point. _

_ \- G _

Naruto read it again, and again a third time after that. _ October 10_, had Gaara known that was the exact date of his birthday? Sakura-chan and Ino and everyone were planning Naruto’s birthday celebration for that day, but he figured that his celebration would have to wait.

The hawk made an impatient noise, as though frustrated that Naruto had stopped petting it to read the letter. He grinned and said, “alright, alright,” continuing to stroke its feathers.

_ Halfway point_. Damn, did Gaara love to tease him. Naruto’s heart rate quickened at the thought but he decided not to question it. Gaara was almost playing a _ game _ with Naruto. Instead of telling him the exact meetup spot, Gaara was having Naruto guess the location of a bar halfway between Suna and Konoha. Naruto would have to rely on his sensor skills to find him.

Naruto paused suddenly and his mouth went dry. A day and a half’s journey for a drink. It would be a three day’s journey total, there and back, for both Gaara _ and _ Naruto. Gaara was not only putting his Kazekage duties on hold to see Naruto but…

It would be illogical for them to make the journey back to their prospective homes the same night they’d share a drink. It would make more sense for them to….stay...at one of the inns...there—together.

Naruto didn’t know why this hadn’t crossed his mind before, but he knew that Gaara was most likely thinking the same thing. Probably, in fact, Gaara had realized what they would have to do the very _ moment _ he’d received Naruto’s letter. It was just like Naruto to be outright oblivious to that sort of thing; he hadn’t actually thought that far ahead.

And anyway, would the inns be high-security enough to protect the Kazekage? Would shops in outlying territories have measures in place to protect Gaara? Well, it wasn’t as though Gaara couldn’t protect himself and—Naruto would do _ anything _ to protect him, too.

Naruto swallowed, his throat dry. What made the most sense (simply due to protection, Naruto justified rationally), was...for them to share a bedroom.

The hawk startled, ruffling its feathers, as Naruto rushed over to find a piece of parchment. Without thinking, he scribbled the first thing that popped into his head.

In his messy handwriting, Naruto wrote:

_ Wouldn’t miss it for the world, dattebayo - Naruto _

Naruto didn’t question what he wrote, nor why his heart was pounding and his cheeks tinged pink. Naruto tied a blue ribbon around the paper, secured it onto Gaara’s _ personal _ hawk and released it back towards Suna.

Naruto immediately started packing. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to be the first one there. He wanted to already be seated at the bar, watching Gaara come in.

Just then, Naruto paused, groaning internally. _ Fuck, _he thought to himself, and since that wasn’t enough, he added, out loud, “shit!” Naruto had forgotten that Kakash’-sensei was officially “swearing Naruto in,” as it were, as a Jonin the day before Naruto’s birthday.

Of course, Naruto had been considered a Jonin by _ everyone _ ever since he defeated Pein. However, Naruto hadn’t ever even completed the Chuunin Exams so he was, in documentation, still a Genin. After the War, it was his agreement with Kakash’-Sensei that Naruto would officially study and learn the academic aspect of becoming a Jonin for two years if and _ only _ if he could continue to do Jonin missions on the side.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head out of habit, eyes closed in deep concentration. He _ couldn’t _ miss the ceremony; that had been in the works for a solid two years. Part of the reason that the date of his Jonin ceremony was so set-in-stone was because Sakura and Ino had dibs on planning his massive back-to-back celebration: the ceremony and then his birthday.

All of Konoha would be in attendance and honestly, knowing Ino and Sakura, probably a ton of people from other villages would, too. They were both keeping the party planning itself fairly hush-hush and persuaded the entire village not to breathe a word to Naruto. (Had Naruto been younger, he definitely would have been up to his typical mischief trying to spy on everyone and overhear details about the surprise).

Naruto was trapped. He groaned and sat down on his bed, head in his hands. Naruto re-tightened the dark cloth on his forehead protector—he had been unable to give up his trademark Konoha Hitai-ate, even though most wore the Shinobi Union band instead.

Now, he had a decision to make. He’d just have to be present for _ all _ of it, some way or another. Naruto grinned mischievously—he was beginning to concoct a devious plan, one that even his younger self would have been proud of.

~~~~~~

Gaara was always amazed at how peaceful the Land of Rivers seemed, a country nestled in between Konoha in the Land of Fire and Suna in the Land of Wind. The scenery changed so abruptly from the vast and open Desert—with her dunes, shifting and rippling in the wind—to the green valleys with their abundance of freshwater rivers.

Gaara had traveled the route often over the years, consistently making the long journey to and from Suna and Konoha.

The slope of the valleys made the Land of Rivers a perfect location for farmers to cultivate rice. Gaara walked along the road and watched as the green hills dipped and danced along the horizon.

He paused at a farm stand and bought two skewers of anko dango, made with fresh rice flour, one for himself and one for a...certain blonde he would meet up with shortly.

Gaara was nearing a small town, one where he’d meet up with someone who could finally give him some answers. He felt strangely calm, holding onto no anxieties about the state of his village while he’d be gone. Gaara was proud of his siblings for stepping in and helping take care of Suna when he’d inevitably be gone for a few weeks—or so he assumed.

He stopped in front of a seedy tavern and couldn’t help but smile. Of course this had to be the place…. Almost on cue, there was a loud crashing sound followed by a roar of laughter and dishes clattering to the ground.

A chicken—squawking loudly—flew out of the entryway, which was just a single battered tarp hung over the entrance.

An intoxicated villager staggered out of the doorway, following closely behind the chicken. She bellowed loudly, “little asshole! I won you fair an’ square—get the fuck b_ack _ here.”

Gaara ducked under the tarp. The bar was inconceivably dark, but this _ was _ the right place after all. Gaara had left it up to his companion to choose the location and he was not disappointed. He saw a familiar head of light blonde hair and couldn’t help but smile.

“_GAARA,” _ the blonde bellowed loudly, stomping over to Gaara to clap him on the back affectionately (something that clearly wouldn’t have happened without alcohol being involved).

“Hokage-sama,” Gaara bowed slightly and smiled. At that remark, the former Hokage tipped her head back and laughed, her blonde hair coming dangerously close to touching the dirt floor.

“Don’t be all formal with me, gaki,” Tsunade said, bringing out a shot glass from inside her shirt and putting it into his hand. She whispered loudly, “I suck _ ass _ at gambling but the men here keep buying me shots anyway, ha!—Oi, _Shizune_!”

Shizune, a woman Gaara had seen with Tsunade many times before, appeared from behind her with a little pink pig in her arms.

“Yes, Tsunade-sama...Oh!” Shizune’s eyes widened upon seeing Gaara and she smiled brightly. “Gaara-kun, good to see you! Tsunade’s in over her head as usual.” Shizune rolled her eyes but smiled warmly at her shishou.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Tsunade grunted. “Gaara, come with me, we’ll get sake.” In a perfectly straight line, as though she had completely mastered the art of drinking, Tsunade walked briskly over to the bar and ordered sake for the three of them.

They sat at a booth in the corner, close to the one window in the entire tavern. They could see the rice paddies stretching out over the valley and the blue sky was nearly sparkling.

“Tsunade, you seem well,” Gaara said, pouring sake first in her and Shizune’s glasses, and then in his own. He passed the anko dango he’d purchased at the farm stand to Tsunade and she took it gratefully.

“Thank the Sages I’m not Hokage anymore,” Tsunade chuckled and nodded towards his gift approvingly. She stuffed a ball of dango into her mouth and continued, mouth full, “—Mm, thank you, this is just what I fuckin’ needed—Anyway, slapping all that godawful paperwork onto the desk and knowing that from now on, it’d be _ Kakashi’s _ burden?” She sighed blissfully and laughed, popping another dango in her mouth.

“You weren’t such a bad Hokage,” Shizune pointed out. “But yeah, your happiness _ has _ improved since you retired.”

Tsunade grinned at Shizune, passing the remaining anko dango on the skewer to her. Shizune took it, saying to Gaara, “red bean! My _ favorite_, thank you, Gaara-kun!”

Gaara smiled; Shizune seemed more relaxed as well, though he had never spent much time with her. He was glad they still kept one another company, even though Shizune had “graduated” from being Tsunade’s apprentice long ago.

“Kampai,” Gaara said, smiling, and raised his glass of sake. The other two followed suit, returning, “kampaaai!” Gaara and Shizune both sipped their sake while Tsunade drained hers in one gulp.

“You gotta catch up, Kazekage-_sama _,” Tsunade grinned. “Shizune and me been drinkin’ all day.”

“_You’ve _ been drinking all day,” Shizune corrected her.

“Lay off!” Tsunade laughed. Gaara was glad to see her laughing so much. “Besides,” she continued. “It’s the start of a celebration! My brat’s becoming a Jonin and turning nineteen.”

A soft blush traveled across Gaara’s cheeks. Naruto didn’t yet know that Gaara was going to surprise him for his ceremony and his birthday.

“Hey, Gaara-kun, how did you manage to make the long trip?” Shizune asked curiously, sipping her sake. “With being the Kazekage and all?”

“Naruto is…” Gaara paused, looking out the window and collecting his thoughts. Tsunade acknowledged the far-off look in his eyes with curiosity, but said nothing.

“Naruto and I have a big decision to make,” Gaara finished, clearly withholding some truths from the two kunoichi. “It’s something I have yet to discuss with him..something that will impact the lives of everyone in Suna and Konoha—possibly even the whole of the Shinobi Union.”

“So, then….you _ are _ going through with it,” Tsunade said quietly.

Gaara looked into the eyes of the former Hokage and she returned his gaze with her piercing stare. Tsunade could see that Gaara’s eyes were clear of the worry she had noticed a few months back, when Gaara had first come to her to ask for her help. Curiously, though the two of them were quite different, Gaara reminded her of Naruto.

Gaara had a good heart, something that Tsunade realized shouldn’t be taken lightly. His eyes revealed great pain, the solitude had been forced upon him from a young age quite evident. But alongside the trauma lay also an understanding of people and a certain level of empathy that Tsunade couldn’t _ believe_.

Here was a boy—yes, a boy, not yet a man—forced from birth to try and prove his own existence and worth to all those around him. Of course Naruto had touched his heart back then, Naruto with his straight-forwardness and impulsivity. That brat had enough empathy and willfulness to force even the most seemingly wicked person to realize their _ true _ self and abandon their cruel ways.

Tsunade knew that Gaara was determined to make this a reality and she knew that, though it was risky, ultimately it was a wise idea. It wouldn’t just strengthen the two villages, but it would strengthen the bond between Gaara and Naruto themselves—the bond between the Kazekage and undoubtedly the future leader of Konoha.

Tsunade poured another glass of sake and topped off Shizune’s and Gaara’s. They all sat in comfortable silence for a moment; Shizune obviously had questions for Gaara but she held back, knowing it wasn’t her place to ask.

Tsunade knew that Sasuke leaving and following his path of revenge had absolutely _ broken _ Naruto, whether he’d admit that to himself or not. At first, Tsunade thought the situation had exactly paralleled how Jiraiya had felt when he was unable to retrieve Orochimaru. The rivalry between the two of her fellow Sages was seemingly the same as the rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke. Or so Tsunade thought at first….

But Tsunade was perceptive. She knew Naruto well and she could see the shift in him whenever Sasuke was brought up in conversation, or in debate—Naruto’s fierce protectiveness of the boy, his frustration with him, the way his eyes would glaze over and he’d look off when talking about Sasuke. The way that Sasuke experienced the same solitude as Naruto had; Naruto and Sasuke were each other’s first friend. Their first bond.

Tsunade knew that Naruto loved Sasuke. Yet, she had never known Sasuke to be the type who would return Naruto’s affection—at least, from her point of view, not in a healthy way. _ Who am I to judge? _ She looked absently at her sake, knowing that she, too, chose to cope with shitty circumstances in unhealthy ways.

But ultimately, though she would never admit this to anyone, Naruto was like a son to her. Maybe not a son….but not _ exactly _ like her little brother, Nawaki, either. Naruto was the brat who had _ changed _ her, too, something Jiraiya had predicted would happen way back when she was being considered for the position of Godaime Hokage.

Tsunade looked at Gaara, who had begun discussing the topic of fūinjutsu with Shizune. His eyes had changed so much, even from when he had _ just _ become Suna’s Kazekage, still trying to find his place in the world. Both he and Naruto had to fight for people to accept their very _ existence _ as people—as Jinchuuriki—which was a tragedy that the majority of people in the world never had to face.

_ Bonds, _ Tsunade thought. Naruto was Gaara’s first bond.

“Gaara,” Tsunade said suddenly, and Shizune stopped talking—mid-sentence—as both she and Gaara looked at the former Hokage. Tsunade continued, “You understand Naruto in ways that most don’t. I think you and Naruto are good for each other and….I know I voiced my suspicions about this whole thing before but—” Tsunade drained her cup of sake, pausing dramatically in the middle of her sentence. Shizune couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“You brats have my support, in whatever you need,” Tsunade finished gruffly. That was the closest she’d ever get to explaining what had just gone through her mind. “I’ll help you find information in any way that I can.”

Gaara knew it might just be the sake, but he could feel his cheeks heat up. _ You’re good for each other… _ echoed in his mind, and he felt a shudder travel through him.

“Is that all you wanted to talk with me about?” Tsunade asked. Gaara shrugged slightly and nodded—he’d need Tsunade’s support to go through with this.

“That, and a tokkuri of sake with Legendary Drinker Tsunade was overdue,” Gaara smiled, feeling warm and open with her.

“HA! You’re full of surprises, kid!” Tsunade stood, stretching. Her eyes sparkled mischievously and Shizune sighed, knowing what was coming. Tsunade continued, “But you can’t say you’ve _ reaally _ drunk with Tsunade ‘til you’ve _ gambled _ with Tsunade.”

Shizune slammed her hands on the table, sweating, “G-Gaara-kun! N-no! Don’t feel like you have to, Tsunade-sama is—”

Shizune looked at Gaara and saw that he was grinning, amused. He sipped his sake in response.

“Hm! The quiet brat comes with _ more _ surprises!” Tsunade grinned. “If we double-team it, we can split the winnings.” Tsunade had a feeling that Gaara would actually be pretty good at gambling. He’d be a dangerous opponent if he ever decided to play against her….she’d most certainly lose everything to him, especially in a game of poker.

“As long as we’re not late for Naruto-kun’s ceremony tomorrow morning….” Shizune grumbled, following her Shishou and the Kazekage as they left their booth and headed to the far end of the tavern.

~~~~~~

The morning of Naruto’s ceremony was unusually sunny and warm for that time of year. The summer monsoon season had long since transitioned into autumn; and yet, today was more reminiscent of spring than anything else. But softly still could autumn be felt—the crispness of the air, the faint smell of dry oak leaves—by those who paid enough heed to her.

The light of dawn filtering through Naruto’s window forced him out of the strange half-conscious, half-sleeping state he’d found himself in. He’d been unable to fall asleep at all the night before, and resorted to doing pushups on his bedroom floor to tire himself out. But Naruto’s chakra reserves were _ immense_—even regardless of the fact that Kurama Yang was no longer sealed inside him—so Naruto made it to nine hundred and sixty eight push-ups before getting bored and flopping onto his bed.

Naruto blinked into the light from his open window and stretched, producing an exaggerated yawn. A particularly strong, warm breeze swept through his room and he sighed into it, his blonde hair ruffling in the wind. Very few villagers were awake yet, as the sun had just begun to rise.

Naruto came to terms with the fact that trying to fall back asleep would be pointless—he was strangely filled with an unshakable, restless energy. He leapt out of bed, throwing on his sandals and zipping up his trademark jacket.

Naruto paused in front of the window before heading out, smiling softly at the photograph he still kept on his desk. When he was younger, Naruto would absently trace his thumb over the picture frame, daydreaming about bringing Sasuke home. (So much so that the entire left side of the frame was worn down slightly in comparison with the right-hand side). 

Now, the battle had been won. Naruto had convinced Sasuke to finally come home. And yet—

Sasuke was off in Otogakure rebuilding the Village of Sound. Naruto briefly wondered if Sasuke knew that it was Naruto’s ceremony today...or if Sasuke remembered it would be his birthday tomorrow. But it was a passing thought, absent of the pain and heartache he used to experience whenever he would think about Sasuke. He allowed the thought to drift away as he secured his hitai-ate around his forehead and walked outside.

Naruto walked aimlessly at first, hands in his pockets, smiling into the blue skies. He loved Konohagakure early in the morning, when he could drift through the Village in a dreamlike state as the villagers began opening their family stores. Naruto pulled out of his pocket a delicately wrapped onigiri—one of the last remaining onigiri from Sakura-chan—and munched on it thoughtfully.

Naruto’s thoughts drifted to the speech he’d soon have to make and he sighed, groaning inwardly. Kakash’-Sensei insisted that Naruto didn’t have to give any sort of speech, but he knew that he needed to—and he genuinely _ wanted _to.

Naruto knew it was important to be able to speak openly and give everyone hope and courage, to stop conflicts with just his words. Not just as some kid, some Genin, but as a respected and beloved leader, strong and fair. Someone who could unite everyone—a leader devoted to his people and to making his Village a better place. Someone who could earn the respect of anyone, young and old;

..soft...no sharp edges, quiet and thoughtful and present in every moment—

Just like….

_ Gaara_.

The moment Naruto thought of Gaara, a rush of wind ruffled Naruto’s hair and he closed his eyes, breathing in deeply. There was such a sweet smell in the air, such a beautifully warm and comforting aroma. Naruto’s heart rate sped up suddenly. Warmth rushed to his cheeks. His eyes shot open and for a moment, just for one instant, Naruto could swear that he felt Gaara’s presence nearby.

Naruto stood frozen on the street, earning some curious stares from a few early-risers. _ I’m going fuckin’ crazy, _ Naruto thought, nearly letting out a shaky laugh. He frowned, deep in concentration, stretching out his chakra to see if he could once more feel Gaara’s presence. Maybe...maybe there _ was_…

But then, just as Naruto once again honed in on the familiar feeling, it was gone. _ Hmm. _ Naruto kept walking again, his heartbeat gradually slowing to a normal rate.

He didn’t realize it until he reached the outskirts of the village, but Naruto had unwittingly been wandering toward the Konoha Cemetery. Something had been aching in him to visit the cemetery—a small sort of fluttering in his chest that had been present late into the night before, as he had struggled to sleep.

Whenever Naruto would visit the cemetery, which was only on occasion, it was never premeditated. He’d just….find himself there sometimes. Today, there was something about the way the sunlight fell upon the grass, wildflowers growing in little patches around the gravestones—he had been drawn to it.

Ino and Sakura-chan were the ones who had begun planting native flowers in the cemetery. “It’s to _ revitalize it_, Naruto,” Sakura-chan had said to him, winking at Ino.

Ino had nodded, hands on her hips, “It’s always been so fuckin’ _ depressing _ in here. We decided to give it the ol’ Yamanaka—and Haruno—touch.” She winked back at Sakura-chan and the two of them held one another’s gaze, a blush dusting their cheeks.

Naruto shrugged it off, grinning cluelessly. The way Naruto saw it, girls were always doing bizarre things, so he didn’t think much of this exchange.

And so it was that Sakura and Ino took on the task of making the cemetery a place where life could flourish again, even if only in the smallest ways. They planted milkweed, and white chrysanthemums and red spider lilies, which attracted pollinators of all kinds—little native bees and different species of butterflies and beetles.

_ Sugē, _ Naruto thought. He realized that he really shouldn’t have been surprised that the energy was so vastly different than it had been in the past. Ino and Sakura-chan working together heeded wonderful things, to say the least. Naruto smiled as he approached an especially colorful variety of wildflowers. _ Of course, _ Naruto thought. _ Old man Inoichi’s grave... _

For some reason, Naruto believed it to be Sakura-chan—and not Ino—who planted all those colorful flowers there, for Inoichi’s spirit...and for Ino’s...

Wildflowers grew among the gravestones directly beside the Yamanaka plot, too. Naruto bent down, brushing aside the overgrown grasses, and read the name there. _ Shikaku-oyaji. _Naruto felt a pang of sadness hit his chest as he could see, so clearly in his mind, Shikamaru and old man Shikaku sitting together, playing shōgi.

Naruto smiled sadly, looking up at the clouds and taking a moment. It wasn’t that he was saying a prayer, necessarily—Naruto just liked to have a moment...to think about people and to consider what they’ve done for the Village, for his friends, for his comrades.

Naruto walked to the next gravestone and knew, without brushing aside the tall grasses, to whom it belonged.

He and his classmates had stood in front of this very grave two years ago, _ feeling _ rather than recognizing that the Konoha Eleven had just become the Konoha Ten.

They’d been filled with grief and emptiness; a classmate they had all grown up with and thought of dearly was gone. It could have been any of them, and that was the hardest for the Konoha Ten to think about and fathom.

_ Hinata, _Naruto stopped in front of her grave.

Someone had planted a single white chrysanthemum to the right of her gravestone. To the left sat a Shinobi Union hitai-ate, weather-worn and tarnished. _ Shit, _ Naruto thought, suddenly hit with a flashback. It had been Neji who had placed his own forehead protector there, in memoriam of his cousin.

It was honestly difficult for Naruto to recall the details of the day that Konoha buried its dead. He inhaled sharply; how _ painful _ it had been for everyone to stand there together, as a village, grieving their collective loss.

The War had taken so many lives, so many of his comrades. Naruto had connected with each and every person on that battlefield when he had protected them with Kurama’s cloak. He’d felt their worries, their fears, their emotions; he could see their memories and their entire lives laid out before him.

And all in a single instant, when Madara had torn Kurama away from him, Naruto felt the presence of his Village vanish. His consciousness faded, and the last thing he remembered was watching Kurama slip away and hearing……._Naruto! _

Who had called out his name—whose voice was that? Strong and clear and _ shaken_, devastated. Like their whole world had crumbled in that one moment, like everything had been taken away from them.

Naruto had felt a cushion of sand around him, soft and warm and sparkling and familiar, and then he remembered nothing more until he was revived.

Naruto clenched his fists and turned away abruptly, walking towards the oak that grew at the front of the cemetery. He sat down in the shade, taking a few deep breaths and centering himself.

_ “Thank you,” Neji had said, as he and Naruto stood side-by-side. Naruto looked at him. Neither of them were crying—neither of them had to. The entirety of the War had been too intense for tears. The PTSD had yet to set in. _

_ “To you and—to her,” Neji clarified, gesturing to the gravestone of his younger cousin—of someone who had been like a sister to him. It was raining. Everyone was wearing black. _

_ “I—” Naruto started to say something but shut his mouth. He was, for once, at a loss for words. _

_ “Long ago, those words of yours freed me from the shackles of fate, Naruto,” Neji said. The rain was loud in Naruto’s ears. “And it was you who allowed me to open up to Hinata-sama...to treat her more as my sister than as a burden to me.” _

“Thank you,” Naruto said aloud, to no one in particular. After saying it, Naruto felt that something was, just then, resolved somehow. He knew, now, why he had been brought to the cemetery that day. To pay his respects—to remember why it was he was fighting so hard to become the Hokage. It was for himself...for his Village...for his comrades who believed in him.

He stood up, smiling one last time back towards the cemetery before setting off towards the Village again. He knew, now, what he would say in his speech.

~~~~~~

“You _still _haven't planned your speech?” Kiba asked, staring at Naruto with an expression that revealed he wasn’t all that shocked. “_Mattaku_…”

“Hnn,” Naruto mumbled groggily. It was now about half-past ten. _ I was way too fuckin’ eager to get up this morning, _he thought to himself as he slumped in his seat, closing his eyes.

Shikamaru grinned. “You’d better not fall asleep during your ceremony,” he said, picking up his mug of tea and taking a sip. Shikamaru had found Naruto wandering around the village earlier that morning and, after a few _mendokusē’_s, Shikamaru agreed to treat him to tamagoyaki and gohan.

Naruto, still slumped in his seat, stuffed an entire rolled omelette into his mouth in response. Kiba laughed—he and Akamaru had joined Naruto and Shikamaru for their mid-morning breakfast.

“How mad do ya think Sakura-chan would be,” Naruto started, mouth still full. He gulped down his food loudly before continuing, “if I didn’t do the whole...birthday thing tomorrow?”

“Pissed,” Kiba said immediately. Akamaru barked in agreement.

“Furious,” Shikamaru followed, gathering a clump of rice in his chopsticks and popping it in his mouth.

The three of them pictured a red-faced Sakura gripping Naruto by his shirt collar and shaking him around like a bell.

“She can get so scary sometimes...” Naruto said, laughing. “I don’t even know what crazy-ass surprise she and Ino have planned, y’know.”

“Well,” Kiba grinned mischievously. “Sakura and Ino are having all of us take you to the Sentō.” 

None of them were _ supposed _ to let Naruto know about the whole thing, but this was Kiba...and Shikamaru didn’t care enough to stop him from telling.

_ The whole thing’s troublesome_, Shikamaru sighed.

“You’re shittin’ me!” Naruto grinned. “The Sentō? Good, I _ need _ a bath, man. I pro’lly reek.”

“Yeah man, you really fuckin’ do,” Kiba teased him, and the two of them laughed.

“So,” Naruto looked first at Kiba, then at Shikamaru for dramatic effect. He grinned slyly, “we _ aaaalllllll _goin’ to the Sentō then?”

“Idiot,” Kiba bonked Naruto on the head, laughing.

“It isn’t co-ed, genius,” Shikamaru added, shaking his head and smiling.

Naruto grinned, rubbing the back of his head where Kiba had smacked him. “I know, I know,” he said. “Just fuckin’ around.”

An image of Ero-Sennin flitted through his mind briefly and Naruto smiled warmly at the memory of his Shishou.

_ Damn_. A bath at the springs _ would _ be nice, especially after how tense Naruto had been all throughout studying for and taking the Jonin exams. But he couldn’t stay any later than his ceremony. He’d have to send a Kage Bunshin to take his place at the baths—hopefully the benefits of the bath and sauna would transfer to Naruto after his Clone vanished.

Naruto’s Clone would serve its purpose as a distraction but Naruto felt somewhat...guilty about skipping their big celebration for him. He knew Ino and Sakura-chan were psyched about this whole thing... Naruto told himself he’d just have to make it up to the two of them later. After all, this _ was _ gonna be a special occasion.

It was a drink with the Kazekage; and Naruto knew that the two of them would be meeting as equals….as high-level shinobis. As...friends.

Naruto suddenly froze in place. His heart rate became elevated and he closed his eyes. _ There _ it was again—Naruto could feel Gaara’s chakra signature. It was brief, a sudden bloom of warmth in his chest, and then it disappeared almost entirely.

Time seemed to slow to a near standstill, Naruto aware of his own breath. His breath which had, just a moment ago, been in sync with Gaara’s.

Naruto could hear his own heart thumping, could feel his lips part as he, without thinking, called out to Gaara in his mind. Or maybe Naruto actually _ did _ call out, not just in his mind—he wasn’t entirely sure and he decided he didn’t care.

After a moment, the warmth suddenly flooded back into Naruto’s cheeks. He felt as though he had just stepped into the sunlight after days of gray skies, as though he awoke to the sun’s rays on his bed after a night of peaceful sleep.

And then Naruto _ felt_, rather than heard, Gaara answer back,

_ Naruto. _

As quickly as Gaara’s presence was _ there_, with Naruto, suddenly it was gone. Naruto felt himself return to the present. His heartbeat slowed to a more natural rhythm. Yet he felt as though something was missing, as though that moment was the calmest and most serene he’d felt in a long time.

Naruto opened his eyes to see both Kiba and Shikamaru staring at him—Kiba absolutely flabbergasted and Shikamaru inquisitive, trying to _ figure him out_. Naruto willed his cheeks not to burn as he averted his eyes, stuffing the final rolled omelette into his mouth.

“Uhh,” Naruto mumbled, mouth full. He shoveled a few clumps of rice into his mouth and swallowed. “I gotta go..get ready for my speech.”

“Dude, what the _ fuck _ just—hey!” Kiba started laughing, but Naruto was already bounding away.

“Oi, Naruto!” Shikamaru called after him and shook his head, letting out an exasperated chuckle. _ Mattaku. _

“What the _ fuck _ is Naruto on?” Kiba asked, slurping up the remainder of his miso soup.

Shikamaru shrugged, leaning back and watching the sunlight become dim as clouds drifted by. He yawned and decided it was best if he _ didn’t _ get involved in whatever the fuck he just witnessed Naruto go through.

~~~~~~

Crisp orange and red leaves were falling at the feet of the Academy building, the surrounding trees shedding their coats in time for the coming winter months. Yet reminders of the summer somehow remained—a single leaf, still entirely green and soft, fluttered down from the tops of the trees and landed into the outstretched palm of Haruno Sakura.

She had watched the leaf fall—its vivid green grabbing her attention—and reached her hand out just in time to catch it. Sakura held the stem and twirled the leaf in her fingertips, holding it up to see its veins in the sunlight.

Sakura experienced a flood of sudden fondness and warmth for her home in moments like this. It wasn’t until she had more exposure to missions in new and unfamiliar terrain—the higher elevation in Kumogakure, the desolate stretches of snow in Shimogakure—that Sakura realized just how deeply she appreciated Konoha.

She looked up at the Academy, its entrance still exactly as it had been in her youth. At the base of the entrance to the Academy, a wooden stage had been constructed for Naruto’s speech. Sakura walked towards it and ran her hand along the wood planks. _ Yamato-Taicho_, Sakura recognized his handiwork.

Sakura set the green leaf down softly on the stage, in the place she pictured Naruto would stand. She smiled softly when she noticed the delicate dried flowers strung along the front of the stage—a fingerprint of the Yamanaka Clan. _Sasuga, __Ino, _ Sakura thought, confirming her suspicions.

In all but formalities, Ino had become Konoha’s head of construction and building since the War. She and Yamato-Taicho often teamed up to create plans for improving and designing better buildings.

“Revitalizing, Sakura,” Ino chided often. _ Revitalizing _ had become Ino’s favorite word to toss around at any given moment. It had also become Sakura's favorite word to tease Ino with. A smile spread across Sakura’s face.

Currently, the pair was designing blueprints to expand the Academy, with the intention of offering a more well-rounded curriculum to students. The Konoha Eleven—no, _ Ten’s_—generation would ensure that war and fighting would no longer be the sole purpose of schooling.

And yet still, a distinct mark of Ino’s sentimentality, the entrance to the Academy and the trees around it remained unchanged. Sakura turned from the stage and approached the old oak tree still standing tall, tracing her fingers along its gray-brown bark. Naruto’s rope swing swayed gently in the warm breeze.

_ It’s so much smaller than I remember_, Sakura thought to herself and smiled. She gripped the weather-worn rope, stretched thin and fraying, and gave it a small push.

“Sakura!” A voice caught her by surprise and she turned abruptly, anxiously. They could all still feel the ripples of War, after all.

“Iruka-sensei,” Sakura smiled warmly, hoping the anxiety hadn’t been evident in the way her body tensed. As she turned away from the tree, Sakura could still hear the creak of the swing in motion.

“Isn’t it amazing?” Iruka-sensei beamed as he gestured, in a nod, towards the stage. “I know he’s just becoming a Jonin but _matakku_…”

“Hm,” Sakura hummed in agreement, smiling. “His next ceremony will be as Hokage, no doubt.”

The two stood together in comfortable silence, noting the dried flowers softly swaying in the warm breeze. After a few moments, Sakura turned to look at her former sensei.

Iruka-sensei had become misty-eyed, staring fixedly at the stage.

Sakura grinned widely, turning abruptly to hide the laugh that almost escaped.

_ Ino took a swig of Yamazaki whiskey from her glass. “I bet Naruto won’t even be on _ stage _ yet and Iruka-sensei’s already gonn’ be crying.” _

_ A few of them had decided to go out for drinks after a mission. Only a short while, they’d all agreed, and then they would immediately return to Konoha. It was now past four in the morning—could’ve even been five; the roosters were already crowing. _

_ “I’ll take that bet,” Kiba said immediately after downing his whiskey. He motioned to the bartender for another, determined to match Ino drink-for-drink. _

_ “I fuckin’ knew you were gonna say that, Kiba,” Tenten laughed. “You two and your damn bets…” _

_ “Iruka won’t cry ‘til Naruto’s speech at the earliest,” Kiba said, ignoring Tenten. He stuck his hand out for Ino to shake. _

“Ino,” Iruka said suddenly, nodding to his former students as they began arriving. “Shikamaru, Choji.” Sakura whirled around to inspect her former Sensei’s eyes. _ So he recovered, _Sakura thought, eyes narrowed in concentration.

“Iruka-sensei,” Choji said, and the three bowed their heads together. Ino-Shika-Cho was as synchronized as ever, Sakura noted.

“Just _ look _ at this stage,” Iruka-sensei gushed. “Ino, you’ve really outdone yourself.”

“Ha, the one you should thank is Yamato,” Ino said, grinning. “He does all the _ actual _ work, I just take all the credit.” Sakura laughed, earning a surprised glance from Ino. Ino relaxed into an easy grin and _ winked _(Sakura had to catch her breath), before turning back to Iruka.

“Neh, Iruka-sensei, you’re gonna _ love _ the plans for the new Academy. We’re totally revitalizing it. Kakash’-sensei’s already approved our blueprints so with a few minor modifications we can—”

“Neh, Sakura,” Choji nudged her quietly as Ino continued talking. “Who won the bet?” Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

Sakura smiled, shaking her head. “No clear winner,” she whispered.

She suddenly _ felt _ someone’s eyes on her and looked up suddenly, catching none other than Ino’s intense gaze. Ino locked eyes with Sakura for one beat, two, before turning back to Iruka-sensei and continuing their conversation as though nothing had happened.

Sakura could feel her cheeks heating up, a shiver traveling up her spine.

_ “Mattaku, bijin-san,” Sakura grinned, settling her gaze on Ino. Sakura hated whiskey, choosing to stick with Katsunuma wine instead. “You gamble as recklessly as Tsunade-shishou.” _

_ Sakura didn’t fail to notice the light blush that settled onto Ino’s cheeks at the playful nickname. Miss Beauty. It was fitting, Sakura reasoned. _

_ “S’a matter, dekorīn?” Ino said provocatively, turning her whole body to face Sakura in a mock challenge. “Too much of a princess to take on a bet?” _

Ino and Sakura’s “frenemy” dynamic from their youth had dramatically taken a turn. Although everyone agreed upon that, no one really..._got _ it. Sakura was shocked that no one else could see it….the way that the two of them could communicate something hidden and secret and special—something sacred, just for Ino and Sakura.

_ Or maybe..., _ Sakura thought as she caught Shikamaru’s eyes. He quickly looked away. _ Only the more perceptive can sense it... _

Sakura suddenly became aware of her own breathing. _ Perceptive, _the word echoed in her head and she frowned. Something was weird...It was as though all other sounds became dulled and the only noises she could hear were her breath and…

She turned abruptly to stare at Naruto’s swing. Sakura half-expected someone to be sitting on it but it hung untouched. _ Odd. _

It was as though she could feel the presence of…. Sakura looked back to the group, where more and more of her former classmates were starting to arrive. No one else seemed to notice, not even Shikamaru. She looked back towards the swing again. _ Nothing. _ The swing no longer swayed in the breeze.

Sakura shook her head. The War had its dizzying effects on people. She chalked it up to anxiety and left the matter alone, smiling as Tenten, Neji and Lee-san approached her.

~~~~~~

_ Naruto. _

Gaara’s soft voice, calm and reassuring. His voice filtered through Naruto’s mind like sunlight, like the wind in April.

Naruto sat at the edge of the stage and brushed the back of his hand along the dried flowers. He took a deep breath.

_ “Sumanai, everyone,” Naruto laughed, hand behind his head. “Shikamaru and Iruka-sensei told me to prepare and practice a speech but—” _

The Academy brought back a lot of fucked up memories; ridicule, the _ looks_, the estrangement and isolation and, fuck—the loneliness.

_ He’d meant it to be funny but it sounded…sad. Naruto thought of speeches made during times of war, during funerals. _

They’d lost so many in the War, the pain and the suffering could still be felt like ripples through the community.

_ He felt the loss of his To-chan and Kurama like an ache in his chest. Naruto put a closed fist to his heart and closed his eyes tightly. _

And yet...

_ Sweetly, softly: an energy settled in Naruto’s mind. _

The memories weren’t too painful for Naruto to bear, because...

_ It was warm and familiar and calm, causing Naruto to stand up a little straighter. _

He thought of Iruka-sensei and Sakura-chan and Kakash’-sensei; Bushy-Brows and Shikamaru and Neji; Tsunade baa-chan and Bee Takono-san.

_ A stirring in his chest. _

Sasuke. Gaara. _ His heartbeat quickened. _ There were important people in his life who acknowledged him and supported him.

_ Naruto looked over at Iruka-sensei and saw that his eyes were shining with tears. _

_ “Ino,” Kiba stuck out his palm expectantly, grinning. Ino grumbled and plopped a few coins into his open hand. _

Precious people in his life whom he vowed to protect. Naruto rose from where he was seated on the stage and began to stride over to the swing.

_ The swing swayed gently in the breeze; he could hear it sighing. _

The sun shone brightly in Naruto’s eyes—was it Genjutsu? Was there someone sitting on his swing?

_ “But, memorizing speeches,” Naruto flashed a smile at Sakura-chan and Ino. “That isn’t my Shinobi Way.” _

The shade of the tree encompassed Naruto and he actually gasped, eyes closing for a moment.

“_Naruto._”

~~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I’m diverging from canon in a pretty major way because I think it fits the story better, at least for my purposes. It closes out Hinata's story in an almost restorative way...it gives her a purpose and character development outside of / a character trait besides merely obsessing over Naruto. It’s fitting and it’s better, in my opinion.  
This way, Hinata redeems the Main House of the Hyuga Clan by saving her cousin (of the Branch House) and sacrificing herself. Kishimoto has the narrative surrounding Neji about him learning "to change his fate" but it never actually comes to fruition in canon. Hinata and Neji could both change their fates by a) Hinata foregoing family politics in order to save someone important to her (which is in-character for her like hello, she tries to save Naru from Pain); and b) Neji is destined to protect the Main House at all costs but he is, instead, protected.  
Also, it could open up so many possibilities. Does the Hyuga clan resent Neji because of this? Does he grow closer to Hinata's younger sister? Does he feel guilty? Thankful? Both? Idk, lots of ideas to explore.


	3. their first encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some background info: Y’all know that Naruto is a sensor type who can sense peoples’ chakra signatures and if someone has an evil aura or w/e. And in ch. 435, Nagato learned how to constantly change the frequency of his chakra so that sensor type ninja couldn’t pinpoint his location.
> 
> So I felt like, why not have Gaara learn how to do that too? So much of how Naruto interacts w/ the world, once he learns Sage Jutsu, is about sensing the energy of things around him. It definitely adds a cool new dynamic and yet another level of depth to Naruto’s and Gaara’s relationship.
> 
> Also, according to the manga, Naruto is about 5’9 when he gets older and Gaara is about 5’7 (technically 5’6 and a half but for my story, i’ma just say 5’7 lol).
> 
> Wow, sorry for leaving y'all without an update for MONTHS. Thanks for your patience and I hope you enjoy this fluff!

~~~~~~

_“Naruto,” a voice had called out, all those hours ago._

_And Naruto answered, voice nearly shaking in anticipation, _

_"Gaara.”_

A soft breeze teased the leaves of the old oak, the mid-day shadows dancing along the tough ground—worn down from years of children stamping around the Academy playing “ninja.”

Naruto’s legs moved mechanically towards the old tree, excitement and adrenaline building with every step. The oak’s shadows distorted the figure sitting on his childhood swing so that he couldn’t tell if it was some trick of the light. As Naruto drew nearer, he could see that there _was_, in fact, a person there and yet, strangely, he could not sense their energy.

Naruto frowned, increasing his stride and using more chakra to try and _sense_. His heart was pounding as he squinted, shading his eyes from the sun with one hand.

_It’s gotta be some type’a weird genjutsu,_ Naruto thought, his hand twitching towards his kunai pouch. _That, or…_

Or...

Was this shinobi somehow able to..._shield_ their chakra from him?

Naruto’s hands shook slightly. If that was the case, if this really _was_ a ninja who was able to conceal their chakra—and not just another one of Kakash’-sensei’s pranks—then this person had to be really fuckin’ strong.

Naruto pulled a kunai out of its pouch and crouched into a defensive stance just as the shade of the tree encompassed him. He gasped, eyes fluttering closed for a moment.

“Naruto.”

~~~~~~

Naruto was standing so close that Gaara could smell him—could smell the warmth of the early afternoon sun on Naruto’s skin, the soft aroma of cedar and sticky rice.

Naruto blinked a few times, as though in disbelief of the man sitting before him.

_“OMAE!”_ Naruto said loudly, dropping his kunai on the ground to point at Gaara. “What happened to our _drink?_ I was gonna come meet you halfway, we were s’posed to…”

With that, Naruto’s hand faltered, his gaze settling on the ground—a pinkish hue dusted his cheeks. But there was a trace of humor in his eyes and a grin was beginning to spread across his face.

And Gaara just _smiled_. It was refreshing to be in Naruto’s presence again; all formalities ceased to exist—the respective Kage and Hero titles stripped away, the coveted yet detested status of Jinchuuriki dissolved, nations once at war disregarded, so that it was just two young men. It was just Naruto and Gaara.

Gaara stood up from the swing slowly, Naruto returning his gaze as he did so. Naruto’s eyes drifted to the top of Gaara’s head briefly, as though recognizing the shift in their height difference. They had both grown in the two years since the War, but Gaara didn’t realize until now that Naruto was about two inches taller than him.

_Gaara remembered when they met in the Land of Iron, snowflakes falling delicately onto Naruto’s head. Gaara imagined brushing the snow off of Naruto’s hair, his fingers gently sifting through the fine blonde locks. Gaara closed the gap between them, placing his hand firmly on Naruto’s shoulder. They had been the same height then, Gaara realized. They had literally seen eye-to-eye despite the fact that metaphorically-speaking, they had not, greatly disagreeing on matters involving Uchiha Sasuke._

Gaara heard Naruto exhale softly, watched as Naruto rubbed the back of his head, tousling his blonde hair in the process. It was longer now, brushing his eyelashes lightly and curling at the nape of his neck. Gaara thought about how soft his hair must be, how much Naruto resembled the sunlight.

If Naruto was surprised at their sudden closeness, he didn’t show it. Instead, his eyes were light and teasing, grin shifting into a coy smile.

“Yo,” Naruto said in a low voice, leaning forward slightly. “How did you _do_ that?”

Gaara knew, without further elaboration, that Naruto was talking about how he had managed to conceal his chakra signature. Naruto’s voice was lined with respect and a sort of hushed excitement, as though this was some big, important shinobi secret that only Gaara knew the answer to.

And suddenly Gaara could envision Naruto as a young child, innocent and inquisitive and mischievous. He wondered what it would be like, being Naruto’s sensei…or his teammate, forever by his side, joining in on silly pranks. Gaara smiled softly.

In truth, it had taken Gaara two years to learn how to constantly change the frequency of his chakra in order to avoid detection. He’d first read about it in the Suna library, before he had become the Kazekage. It wasn’t until years later that he could actually grasp what the text had referred to as, “reconditioning one’s chakra to exist in an inward rather than an outward state.”

Gaara realized that Naruto was expecting an answer from him. He shifted his weight slightly, looking up at the leaves and thinking about how he could respond, how he could explain it so that Naruto would understand.

Gaara hummed softly in concentration and looked at Naruto, whose eyes were wide and bright.

It was because Gaara knew that Naruto learned by _doing,_ not by being told, that he said softly, “I’ll teach it to you sometime.”

Naruto blinked, looking surprised for a moment as the blush on his cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. But in the next moment, Naruto gave Gaara a lopsided grin, anticipation and excitement brimming in his eyes. Gaara nearly forgot how to breathe at the sight of Naruto radiating happiness and light before him.

That was the moment Gaara realized, with staggering clarity, just _how much_ Naruto meant to him. How much of what he’d once thought of as mere friendship and admiration and respect for Naruto...actually went a lot deeper.

Yes, the two were connected by the fact that they were both Jinchuuriki, both isolated from their villages, both had experienced great pain and solitude. But in reality, it was so much more than that.

After his fight with Naruto during the Chuunin Exams, Gaara had thought a lot about bonds and friendship, what they meant and what feelings they evoked. The way he felt about Naruto, particularly as more years passed and their bond strengthened, was something that Gaara had once conceptualized as simply “friendship.”

The longing to be with him, the longing to touch his shoulder and his hands and his hair, the desire to laugh with him and be by his side—Gaara had never experienced friendship before this, so he thought that everything he felt towards Naruto was typical of how all friends interacted. That all friends experienced the same longing and desire and aching of love in their chests for one another.

It wasn’t until Gaara made more friends—his siblings, his peers, his mentees and even people outside of Suna—that he realized…his feelings for Naruto delved much deeper than mere friendship.

Naruto was Gaara’s first bond—his first real friend, his first real role model. Gaara _smiled_ when he was with Naruto. Gaara found that he could be light and playful and teasing with Naruto around, all unexpected characteristics of the child who had been born with Shukaku, the Demon Tanuki spirit, inside of him.

Gaara’s smile deepened when he realized that Naruto still stood before him, grinning and holding his steady gaze. Gaara’s eyes flickered briefly to Naruto’s bandaged right hand, and then to his left hand, tanned and strong and calloused.

And with that, because he could no longer bear to be without Naruto’s energy all around him, Gaara unshielded his chakra—and was met with a force and a chakra and an energy that was so uniquely and wonderfully and intensely _Naruto_ that Gaara found himself trembling, his rapid heartbeat thrumming in his ears.

~~~~~~

Though Naruto had felt glimpses of Gaara’s energy that morning, nothing could compare to the sensation he now felt once Gaara finally _let Naruto in._

Memories flooded through Naruto’s mind—sand softly drawing Naruto’s hand towards Gaara’s, his eyes mischievous; Kurama extracted from Naruto, his heavy body draped along Gaara’s shoulders; Gaara _smiling_ with him after the War, long fingers wrapped around Naruto’s.

Naruto knew Gaara’s chakra signature very…intimately, somehow. It was one he could identify and sense and _feel,_ resonating somewhere deep in his chest, even from miles away.

And the fact that Gaara had learned to shield his chakra from Naruto—something like...admiration, or maybe recognition (or some other mysterious feeling that Naruto couldn’t place) caused his stomach to flutter.

His gaze had settled on the ground the moment that he could sense Gaara—and when Naruto looked up, he was met with Gaara’s intense stare, eyes vibrant and alive and greener than he had ever seen before.

Naruto was struck with a sudden thought, something he had never conceptualized before but now that it had crossed his mind, he couldn’t deny its truth.

Gaara was _beautiful_.

Naruto was in _awe_ of how beautiful he was, pink lips slightly parted, eyes bright and soft and visibly affected by the sudden connection of their chakra.

Naruto breathed out softly, “You...came to my ceremony.” It was awkward and plain and uncertain and all wrong, but the meaning behind it was clear.

Naruto could see his choice of words reflected in Gaara’s eyes, in the way his gaze softened immeasurably. In the next moment, Gaara graced Naruto with the sweetest of smiles, one that made Naruto feel dizzy and warm.

_“Gaara,”_ Naruto’s voice, smooth as silk. He was surprised at how much he relished saying the name of his friend...how _right_ it felt to have Gaara’s name on his tongue. From the expression of unguarded surprise and warmth in Gaara’s eyes, it was clear that he liked hearing it as much as Naruto enjoyed saying it.

Naruto’s eyes flickered to Gaara’s hand, imagining his long, pale fingers interlaced with his own. Naruto’s heart was pounding and he mentally shook himself, thinking that this was just a fucking _handshake_—it was nothing to get all worked up about.

_“N-normally, I guess people shake hands and say goodbye,” Naruto had said finally, looking at nothing in particular and yet no longer able to hold Gaara’s even gaze._

_The desert breeze gave the group some relief from the heat, but not much. Naruto didn’t even notice, he was focused entirely on his friend before him—the Suna winds ruffling his red hair._

The leaves themselves seemed to vibrate in the wake of their bated breaths; the two almost dared not speak, if only to continue gazing at one another and absorbing the powerful energy that hummed around them.

_“B-but I’m not really good with that kind of stuff, so,” Naruto grinned, resting his hand behind his head and closing his eyes._

At some point, Naruto and Gaara had unconsciously stepped closer to one another, something Naruto only realized when he suddenly caught a sweet scent he could only assume belonged to Gaara. Gaara smelled like linen cloth drying in the sun, like red bean dango and honeyed green tea.

_He inhaled deeply, aware that Gaara was now reaching out his hand. Naruto opened his eyes. The bright Suna sun drew out the subtle flecks of green in Gaara’s blue eyes._

Naruto shivered slightly. Gaara was now so close that Naruto could see the individual strands of fine red hair that swept across his forehead.

_Sand—soft and fine and so unlike the sand he had once fought against so long ago—drew Naruto’s hand forward._

Naruto lifted his left hand at the same moment as Gaara. The two were most likely compelled by the memory of the last time they had been able to touch—their handshake after Naruto had lost his right arm in the War.

Now, even though Tsunade-baachan gave him a prosthetic right arm, bandaged yet strong, Naruto wanted to feel Gaara’s bare skin on his own, just as they had in Suna all those years ago.

_The sand glittered as their hands, both calloused and strong, met._

Distantly, Naruto realized that this wasn’t _just_ a handshake. Gaara—someone who had grown up fearful and was betrayed and threatened by his own family time and time again. A young child filled with an anger that wasn’t his own, a young child who never experienced loving touch or affection or kindness.

Of course it wasn’t just a handshake. To Gaara, to Naruto, it meant so much more.

_Naruto blushed a deep pink at the feel of Gaara’s hand in his own. In this moment, in this too-short and beautiful moment, no one else existed._

As their hands touched, Naruto could feel Gaara’s energy wash over his entire body—warm and safe and perfect. Naruto was _holding_ Gaara’s hand more than he was _shaking_ it, he realized, and he couldn’t care less how it may look to an outsider. Because this, the pair—gazing softly at one another, standing so close that they could smell the other, could see intimate shadows softening the hard lines of their jaws—could feel all the history of their combined energy in this one single handshake.

And Naruto had to admit that this—Gaara _right here_ with the softness in his eyes, stroking Naruto’s hand with slow, gentle movements of his thumb—was without a doubt the best birthday gift he had ever received.

~~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of chap 3 :) Short and sweet! Sorry again that it’s taken me a billion years to update — a lot has been going on and I figured out that I should just make shorter chapters and update more frequently! Soon, our boys are goin' to the Baths together before Naru's big bday bash so Get Psyched for that.


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